Saturday, April 30, 2005
11:14 AM

What Would Jesus Drive?: "Buy the (new) Pope's (old) Mobile

I used Babelfish to translate it (Google's translation apparently doesn't work on eBay).

Only 1.7 million pageviews so far."

(Via metafilter.com.)

Saturday, April 30, 2005
11:12 AM

I am an information glutton, and so are you.: "They say we're living in the Information Age. I think they're right - whoever 'they' are. Before the Information Age, we had the Computer Age, and a long time before that was the Ice Age. Anyway, the term has really come into its own in the last couple of years, especially, I would say, with the advent of Google and with it, the requisite improvement in the retrieval of information. I am a Google fanboy, but this piece isn't about Google or any other singular entity because they are just small players in the part of a much larger game, though I do refer to them quite a lot.Google didn't invent web search, but they re-invented it by extracting more relevant results for a given search query by re-examining the way relevance works. The result was that almost anyone could find information about almost anything so long as they had a computer and could access the Internet. The term 'information age' was applied before it was entirely true. Since the term became common in the late 1970s, the world has slowly moved toward ubiquitous information permeation. Since then, the things that we have information on have multiplied. We now have information about information, often to several layers of abstraction so that a more useful picture can be seen."

(Via Kuro5hin.org.)

Saturday, April 30, 2005
11:10 AM

web zen: generator zen: "Xeni Jardin:

engrish
brag
complaint
prior art
text blocks
the surrealist link
dionne warwick's cosmic peephole
they fight crime
vin diesel facts

web zen home, web zen store, (Thanks, Frank).

"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Tuesday, April 26, 2005
06:01 PM

Trey Parker and Matt Stone: "'Saying goodbye doesn't mean anything. It's the time we spent together that matters, not how we left it.'"

(Via Motivational Quotes of the Day.)

Tuesday, April 26, 2005
05:59 PM
F*uckin A

Brought to You by the Letters F and U: "The HBO series Deadwood is trying to become the Nolan Ryan of dramatic profanity, dropping 1,519 F bombs in only two seasons."

(Via Cruel Site of the Day.)

Tuesday, April 26, 2005
05:55 PM

Top 10 Actual Headlines in Wendy's Finger-in-Chili Coverage: "10. Diner Puts a Finger on What's Wrong with the Chili 9. Finger Food Leaves Diner with Really Bad Taste; Chili Had Too Much of a Human Touch..."

(Via Urban Legends and Folklore.)

Tuesday, April 26, 2005
05:55 PM

'Killer Bananas' Strike Again: "South Africans are being urged to ignore an email warning which claims that bananas imported from Costa Rica may carry bacteria that cause necrotizing fasciitis, popularly known as the 'flesh-eating disease.'"

(Via Urban Legends and Folklore.)

Tuesday, April 26, 2005
05:10 PM
hat every young man should know

HOWTO build an android head for $600: "Cory Doctorow:
This HOWTO runs down step-by-step instructions for building a semi-functional android head running Java with stereoscopic vision and servos for eyelids, all for less than $600.

It is possible to build a computer-driven, life-size, android robot head (Figure 1) for cost of materials of about $600.00. The android head will have two color video-camera eyes with the video going both into a window on the PC and into an image processing Java application. The robot will have six servo motors controlling: (1) base of the head spins, (2,3) each eye moves left/right, (4) both eyes move up/down, (5,6) each eye-lid opens/closes. All servo motors are controlled via a Java application. The user supplies the computer (PC). The details of how to construct such a head follows, based on the authors creation of Robot Maxamilian, R. Max for short.

Link

(Thanks, Nicholas!)

"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Tuesday, April 26, 2005
05:10 PM
thank you very much

The robot men from U.N.C.L.E.: "Xeni Jardin:



Stills and a short video clip (wmv) featuring two Ideal Robot Commando toy robots pressed into service by THRUSH on a 1964 episode of 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' Link

(Thanks, Mike Ransom of Tulsa TV Memories!)

"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Thursday, April 21, 2005
11:59 PM
monkey see monkey fly

More Superboy comic fun: "Mark Frauenfelder:
Andrew Tonkin says: 'My friend Meng just sent me this link to a detailed description, with pictures, of a very strange Superboy story. Seems the lad turns into a GIANT RAMPAGING GORILLA. Those who liked the covers will love this.'

During the 1950s and 1960s, DC Comics engaged in a long-time infatuation with gorillas, especially talking purple ones. Supposedly espoused by Creative Director Irwin Donenfeld, and supported by such editors as Julius Schwartz and Mort Weisinger, the theory was that any comic with a gorilla on its cover was a guaranteed top-seller. At one point, DC was publishing so many funnybooks with gorilla-covers that its editorial staff found it necessary to monitor these efforts, as to limit the number of gorilla-covers to one per month!

Link

"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Tuesday, April 19, 2005
10:14 PM
dead is dead mostly

How to Survive a Zombie Attack: "I finally saw Dawn of the Dead (2004), and I just have to wonder, did these people even think about how they would survive a zombie attack? Since we've had a rash of zombie movies lately - 28 Day, Shaun of the Dead - I think someone needs to publish a zombie survival guide to help these people out. And that someone is me, because I for one don't welcome our new zombie overlords."

(Via Kuro5hin.org.)

Tuesday, April 19, 2005
10:10 PM
ha ha
heh heh
oh

Realistic punchlines for old jokes: "Cory Doctorow:
Here's a Something Awful competition to come up with realistic punchlines to old, generally offensive jokes:

What do you get when you cross a chicken with a centipede?

A media circus about the debate over the morals and ethics of genetic engineering.

Why did the blonde get fired from the M&M factory?

Repeated absences and stealing.

Link

(via Waxy)

"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Tuesday, April 19, 2005
10:08 PM
I vote

Firefox is #1 Boing Boing browser: "Cory Doctorow:


Kris sez, 'Firefox has taken the lead in the Internet Browser war for Boing Boing! Firefox currently leads with 38.4% of visitors using the browser, and Internet Explorer is in 2nd place with 35.1% of visitors using it. This is probably the first time in Boing Boing's history, that Internet Explorer is not #1... Microsoft, watch out!' I switched from Mozilla to Firefox a couple months ago and never looked back.

Link

(Thanks, Kris!)

"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Tuesday, April 19, 2005
10:05 PM
Oii

Action-figure fotonovela story of Passover: "Cory Doctorow:


It's no secret that many of the Golden Age comic book underpants heroes are Jewish, just like their creators -- Eisner, Lee, et al. This hilarious action-figure fotonovela explores what happens when Ben Grimm, AKA The Thing, discovers his Jewish roots, just in time for Passover. I nearly snarfed Manischewitz when the 'Prophet Elijah' showed up for his glass of wine. Print this one out and slip it into your haggadahs, I dare ya.

Link

(Thanks, Isaac B2!)

"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Friday, April 15, 2005
08:53 PM
heh heh x-catholic y'know

Nerve offers sex advice from former...: "

Nerve offers sex advice from former Catholic school students, though they didn't ask me. And nowhere does the phrase 'crushing sense of guilt and shame' make an appearance.

What's the best way to suggest introducing a third partner into a new relationship?

'It worked for the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.'

If anyone needs me, I'll be at confession.

"

(Via blog.)

Friday, April 15, 2005
08:51 PM
bigger than star wars maybe?

The Telegraph is pleased with...: "

The Telegraph is pleased with the new film adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, despite the film's apparent Yankification (courtesy of U.S. actors Mos Def, Sam Rockwell and Zooey Deschanel).

All three Americans acquit themselves well, particularly Rockwell, who portrays Beeblebrox as a titanically stupid rock god, with Freddie Mercury mannerisms. The British influence in the story remains intact, thanks to Martin Freeman (Tim from TV's The Office) as Arthur Dent, the mellifluous but unseen Stephen Fry, who narrates the story tongue firmly in cheek, and the redoubtable Bill Nighy as the planet designer Slartibartfast (fjords a speciality).

"

(Via blog.)

Monday, April 11, 2005
11:46 PM

Joy of Tech cartoon parodies the Transparent Desktop craze: "Nitrozac and Snaggy's latest Joy of Tech creation pokes a little fun at the Transparent Desktop phenomenon. Check it out and be sure to enter their Mac Gaming Giveaway while you're in their neighborhood.

"

(Via MacMerc.)

Tuesday, April 12, 2005
12:23 AM
I've made the switch to Firefox
its jut faster

Firefox 44,000,000 and a new download counter: "As Firefox continues to burn up the Internet with its amazing download numbers, the folks at ‘Spread Firefox’ have installed a new live counter that will give you a first hand account at just how fast this browser is catching on!…

Direct and Related Links for 'Firefox 44,000,000 and a new download counter'

"

(Via Lockergnome Web Developer.)

John F. Kennedy: "'The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.'"

(Via Motivational Quotes of the Day.)

Monday, April 11, 2005
11:37 PM

Toying with ya...: "Ever played Operation or Mouse Trap or any one of 100 other games? Then Marvin Glass is the man behind your childhood fun. And while he may not be a house-hold name, he is a toy industry name. Kaboom!"

(Via metafilter.com.)

Monday, April 11, 2005
11:36 PM
Seriously

Supervillainy: Astroengineering Global Warming: "Last year in April, at a sf convention here in Canberra, I watched a presentation on global warming by Gregory Benford, supposedly telling us about a global warming summit that he had recently participated in. Anticipating the nature of his audience, he first showed us the summit's deliberately conservative final numbers on temperature rise, carbon dioxide levels etc for the next 26 years, then quickly demolished some popular but flawed solutions with clear logic and straightforward calculation. Then he showed us the solution that he'd presented, amid mixed amusement and excitement, to the distinguished climatologists, meteorologists, physicists, chemists, biologists, political scientists, economists, engineerists, environmentalists and journalists at the summit. As a result of attending Greg's little overhead-projected show, I now believe that the cheapest, most effective and most practical answer to global warming is to think like a supervillain and block out the sun's rays using a giant rotating Space Lens suspended directly in front of the Sun! Muahahaha! Let me tell you why."

(Via Kuro5hin.org.)

Monday, April 11, 2005
11:35 PM
oops I need an aaa battery changer...

Rube Goldberg: 125-step flashlight battery changer: "Cory Doctorow:


Robert sez, 'Inspired by cartoonist Rube Goldberg, college students nationwide compete to design a machine that uses the most complex process to complete a simple task - put a stamp on an envelope, screw in a light bulb, make a cup of coffee - in 20 or more steps.

'This year the contest involved changing the two batteries in a torch. The winning team did it in 125 steps.'

Link, 3.4MB Quicktime Link

(Thanks, Robert!)

"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Monday, April 11, 2005
11:33 PM
but aren't all cars heaps of ugly, smog spewing metal?

"World's ugliest car" on the road again: "Mark Frauenfelder:
Ugliness is in the eye of the beholder. I think the 19-foot-long Aurora, built 50 years ago and slammed by the press for being the ugliest car ever, is a beaut.

The silver sedan, shaped like a whale with its mouth gaping, had been sitting in a field in the US
for nearly 30 years before madcap Brit Andy Saunders snapped it up.

He has spent the last 12 years of his life doing up the motor that was a disaster from its launch in 1957.

Link (Thanks, Todd Lappin!)"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Monday, April 11, 2005
11:28 PM

Please, God, for the last time...: "

Please, God, for the last time. Jane Austen and the Brontes were not the godmothers of chick lit. They were the godmothers of good writing. Pride and Prejudice is not the 'original chick lit masterpiece,' no matter what Jennifer Crusie says. It is, however, a good book. Jane Eyre is a good book. Babyville is an offensively awful book that took Jane Green probably all of a week to write. I understand that chick lit writers would like to legitimize themselves by claiming Jane Austen as one of their own, but she is not their ancestor. Their ancestor is Mills & Boone. Jane Austen gave birth to Arundhati Roy, Kazuo Ishiguro, and, you know, literature. So stop it, seriously. You're only hurting yourselves.

"

(Via blog.)

Thursday, April 07, 2005
07:13 PM
lying photographs

Photograph retouching expert's gallery: "Mark Frauenfelder:



CityRag says: 'Glenn Feron is a master photo retoucher. On his site The Art of Retouching, he makes the subjects pop, removes background items, and reshapes body parts. Scrolling through his gallery is a nice lesson in photo editing. But what we really like are the booty lifts, artist makeovers, and tattoo removals. An eye opening reminder that much of what we see in celebrity publicity photos is highly enhanced and improved through the magic of retouching.'
Link (via CityRag)"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Thursday, April 07, 2005
07:10 PM

McDonald's suckling ad -- real or fake?: "Mark Frauenfelder:

I sure hope this photograph is a real McDonald's ad. It's too perfect! Link"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Thursday, April 07, 2005
07:09 PM

Gallery of shaken faces: "David Pescovitz:
This gallery of 'shaken face' photos is very strange and funny. From the FAQ:

2. How do I make one?

Start by loosen up your muscles. Then we recommend using one of two techniques: Prrr or Shaken.

- To Prrr you hold your lips together and say 'prrrr', just like a horse on a sweet summer day.

- To Shakit you just shake your face from side to side and let those cheeks fly free.

Sometimes you drool, but thats perfectly normal...


4. Does it hurt?

After a couple of hard shakes you can indeed feel a bit dizzy or drowsy. If so, just wait for a minute, then start again.

Link (via MetaFilter)



UPDATE: BB reader Phil Williams points us to another excellent gallery of shaken faces, aka 'jowlers.' Link"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Friday, April 01, 2005
04:38 PM

Tiger Renamed; Ship Date Imminent: "TidBITS: ‘In a surprise move, Apple revealed that the official name for this release would be 'Mac OS X 10.4 Wombat... ‘It's not a cat! It’s not even fierce!’ said Jobs.’"

(Via Ranchero.)

Friday, April 01, 2005
04:36 PM
yeah right

Apple Japan Announces/Pulls iPotty Dock: "Suhas writes 'Early Friday morning, the Japanese web site of Apple Computer briefly hosted pages depicting an previously unannounced iPod peripheral called 'iPotty' (JPY 104,970, approx. $1000), a beige-and-white electric toilet seat featuring an integrated iPod dock on its right side. Presumably intended only for the domestic Japanese marketplace, iPotty promises to deliver music playback and an 'optional scent eliminator' to drown out embarrassing bathroom sounds and smells. Availability is listed at 1-3 weeks, indicating an imminent release.'"

(Via Slashdot.)

Friday, April 01, 2005
04:27 PM

Moment of Brian Eno Zen: "Xeni Jardin:
'The advantage the popular arts have is that they are not ideologically proud.'

Link to the 10-year-old interview from which this was snipped. (via Warren Ellis)"

(Via Boing Boing.)

Friday, April 01, 2005
04:21 PM
Laughing is good
laughing at oneselfe is better

Another Boing Boing parody site: Gakker.com: "Mark Frauenfelder:
Gakker.com is an incredibly funny parody of Boing Boing. Just this morning, I was reading a favorite book of mine, Nation Lampoon Presents The Very Large Book of Comical Funnies (which brilliantly parodies comics books from every era, including the EC horror titles and 60s underground comics) and then I saw gakker.com. It has the same kind of humor.
Link"

(Via Boing Boing.)