Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Tuesday, May 31, 2005
03:09 PM
more things that don't keep me up at nacht

Star Wars: The Science of Consistency: "Xeni Jardin:
An interesting essay on (messy) fictional universes and the fans who rationalize them.



The fictional universes depicted in movies like the Star Wars or Star Trek series tend to get very complex (...) That complexity means that—inevitably—the occasional ‘continuity error’ occurs. In normal movie parlance, a continuity error means one of those embarrassing moments when, say, the bandage on an actor moves from the right hand to the left hand between scenes due to a mistake by the makeup department. For science fiction fans, though, continuity refers to the overall logical and historical coherence of our beloved fictional universes.


If Scotty witnesses Captain Kirk’s death at the beginning of Star Trek VII, it is extremely troubling to some of us—those who care, those who have intellectual integrity and the discipline of logic!—if Scotty is awakened from suspended animation approximately seventy years later in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and asks whether Captain Kirk is still alive. Scotty should know that Kirk isn’t! Something is wrong! It doesn’t add up—yet it must! It must!


For you see, any story must have a certain amount of internal coherence if we are to achieve suspension of disbelief. And we must achieve suspension of disbelief.

Link to 'Star Wars: The Science of Consistency' (Thanks, Jason Schultz)

"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Tuesday, May 31, 2005
03:07 PM
nice work agent 99

No Privacy in Your Cubicle? Try an Electronic Silencer: "Xeni Jardin:
An article by John Markoff in this weekend's New York Times about an amazing creation from two of the world's most amazing minds -- Danny Hillis and Bran Ferren.



Maxwell Smart's 'cone of silence' is finally a reality.



Two people in an office here were having a tête-à-tête, but it was impossible for a listener standing nearby to understand what they were saying. The conversation sounded like a waterfall of voices, both tantalizingly familiar and yet incomprehensible.


The cone of silence, called Babble, is actually a device composed of a sound processor and several speakers that multiply and scramble voices that come within its range. About the size of a clock radio, the first model is designed for a person using a phone, but other models will work in open office space.

The voice scrambling technology used in Babble was developed by Applied Minds, a research and consulting firm founded by Danny Hillis, a distinguished computer architect, and Bran Ferren, an industrial designer and Hollywood special effects wizard.




Link"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Tuesday, May 31, 2005
03:03 PM
Art Billboard

Billboard Liberation Front vs. McDonald's: "David Pescovitz:
 Wp-Content Images To Serve Man

BB pal Scott Beale tells us that the Billboard Liberation Front have struck with this magnification modification to a billboard in San Francisco across from Golden Gate Park near Haight Street. At the Laughing Squid blog, Scott has posted a report from the scene of the crime, including a series of excellent photographs:

This billboard modification was above and beyond what is typical for the BLF and included an animatronic Ronald McDonald force feeding a hamburger to an obese child, with a backdrop covering the billboard which consisted of well-fed Ronald McDonald and alien figures.



This was a very bold billboard improvement, since it took place in broad daylight in The Haight near Golden Gate Park, with people and cops all over the place. Not to mention the fact that they covered the entire billboard and installed two sculptures, including one that was kinetic and required a power source.


 Wp-Content Images Ronald InvasionOnce the billboard improvement was completed, dozens of Ronald McDonalds and a couple Hamburglers converged on the scene to help celebrate this occasion. They then proceeded to invade the McDonald’s across the street.


Soon after, the SFPD with the help of the SFFD removed the animatronic Ronald McDonald and child sculpture. It’s reported that Ronald was not read his Miranda rights as he was escorted into the (hamburger) patty wagon. Last reports we received the actual billboard modification was still in place, so their still may be time for you to go down and see it in person.

Link


And from the BLF press release:

Mankind is ready to serve, and McDonalds’ is the corporation to do the serving. After 50 years of eating more and more Big Macs, French fries, and McNuggets designed to enhance our serve-ability, we are finally ready! Untold billions of meals consumed by billions of people throughout the world, have sufficiently enlarged the average girth and tenderness of McDonalds’ patrons (i.e. you) to reveal the True Meaning of life on Earth! Keep your eyes to the skies and watch for the big, shiny saucers with the gold-arched logos that are going to whisk us away to our inevitable and glorious destiny among the stars. Soon McDonalds will truly fulfill its mission To Serve Man.
Link"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Tuesday, May 31, 2005
03:02 PM
Gawd I so did NOT need to know this

James Spader says William Shatner smells like lamb sausage: "Mark Frauenfelder:
James Spader and William Shatner bedded down together during a taping of Boston Legal. Spader describes Shatner's body aroma like this: 'He had a very sort of, a strangely very attractive sort of pungent sort of gamey, sort of a venison or a lamb sausage... and a little bit of rosemary with a touch of ranch dressing.' Link(via Eye of the Goof)

"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Monday, May 30, 2005

Monday, May 30, 2005
06:42 PM

Scientific American presents " 15 Answers to...: "

Scientific American presents '15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense.' (Via TMN.)

"



(Via blog.)

Friday, May 20, 2005

Friday, May 20, 2005
09:36 PM

Honorable Mention, From Lord Vader Himself: "If you've been around the blogosphere, you've likely come across 'The Darthside: Memoirs of a Monster.' This clever blog is written in the first person form of Darth Vader himself, a character in the hyper-popular Star Wars series. The blog attracted the attention of Slashdot, then eventually G4 did a spot on 'Attack of the Show'. Hilarious, and at times poignant, today may very well be the final entry in the blog, as the Darth One goes to bring his son before the Emperor (which, being in the omniscient role of the reader, we know what will happen). In a surprise twist for K5'ers and fans of 'The Darth Side', it is revealed in an interview by fellow blogger Maurice that the author is fellow K5'er CheeseburgerBrown. CheeseburgerBrown handsomely acknowledges K5 in the interview as being a starting point for his online blogging obsession."



(Via Kuro5hin.org.)

Friday, May 20, 2005
09:32 PM
nuff said

Lessons Learned from Revenge of the Sith: "Xeni Jardin:
Excerpt:


# When the leader says ‘Everything’s fine, go wait on the LAVA PLANET', be suspicious.


# Coruscant OB/GYN technology leaves something to be desired.


# Don’t forget what happened to your mother in the last movie, or there will be extra exposition.
Link

"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Friday, May 20, 2005
09:29 PM
stand and deliver

Standing panda: "David Pescovitz:
Futa, a lesser panda at a zoo near Tokyo, stands upright for about 10 seconds at a time. From AFP:

 Us.I2.Yimg.Com P Afp 20050519 Capt.Sge.Quz87.190505153132.Photo00.Photo.Default-277X384The two-year-old male panda stands up several times a day when 'it sees something interesting', said Hiroyuki Asano, an official of Chiba Zoological Park, southeast of the capital.



'We have kept lesser pandas for nearly 20 years at this zoo, but I have not seen one like Futa, which can stand for such a long time,' Asano said.
Link

"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Friday, May 20, 2005
09:26 PM

let's all do the jedi...

HOWTO make an easy Jedi robe: "Cory Doctorow:


Here's a great HOWTO on making your own Jedi robes, even if you've never sewn or worked from a pattern.

Link

(via Make)


"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Friday, May 20, 2005
09:25 PM
i should have thot of dis

Rotating electrical outlet for big plugs: "Cory Doctorow:


360electrical makes electrical outlets that swivel in your wall to accommodate bulky plugs and transformers -- if your plug blocks the other outlet, just rotate it until it doesn't.

Link

(Thanks, Aaron!)

"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Friday, May 20, 2005
09:23 PM
lol

What would Yakov Smirnoff say? MosNews.com looks...: "

What would Yakov Smirnoff say? MosNews.com looks at Tolkien fans in Russia.



Storytelling is one of the best things about the scene, and one of the best-known stories goes like this: a Tolkien fan coming back from a game and wearing an expensive leather coat over his ring mail was unfortunate enough to run into a couple of skinheads late at night. Taking him for a rich and easy prey, they tried to rob the man, threatening him with a knife. When the knife bounced off the hidden coat of mail and the man raised a huge real-looking sword over his head, the two would-be muggers fell to their knees, begging: ‘Have mercy on us, Duncan MacLeod,’ mistaking the Tolkien fan for the immortal highlander.



I am Michael Schaub of the Clan Schaub. I was born in 1977 in the city of San Antonio on the shores of Salado Creek. And I am immortal.

"



(Via blog.)

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Wednesday, May 18, 2005
10:20 PM
one of the greats-just saw him in 12 Monkkeys

I am a man of few words, but many riddles: "Actor/impressionist Frank Gorshin, aka
The Riddler
of the Batman TV series, has died at age 72."



(Via metafilter.com.)

Wednesday, May 18, 2005
09:47 PM

Demystifying Depression - Part II: "This is the second and final part of this series. In this instalment I will cover a range of miscellaneous topics surrounding depression. Special attention will be given to the controversy about antidepressants and the role that sports play in depression. Also noteworthy is an attempt to quantify depression in objective terms. Each topic is fairly independent, but on the whole, the contents of this document are better understood if one carefully reads Part I beforehand."



(Via Kuro5hin.org.)

Wednesday, May 18, 2005
09:24 PM

Web Zen: feline zen 2005: "Xeni Jardin:

kitty cat dance


caution: cat vomit


animal reviews: cat


my cat's football picks


cat helmet


screen cleaning kitten


give your cat a pill


cat yoga


cat buckaroo


miyahi


stack the cats


kitten bounce


kitten attack


pinky the cat


aroma of brains


cat drummer


steptoe kittens


i've snorted a kitten


piruleta


badly drawn cats


kitten war








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



(Via Boing Boing.)

Wednesday, May 18, 2005
09:23 PM

where are ewoks when ya need them

Trailer suspended 50' in the air with stilts and wires: "Cory Doctorow:






Roboshobo sez, 'Hey, look at this amazing pic I found while doing an image search for skyscrapers. It looks to be a mobile home suspended 50 feet in the air with tension lines and stilts. Reminded me of AT-ATs from Star Wars or the walking city that Ron Herron of Archigram concieved.'



JPEG Link

"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Wednesday, May 18, 2005
09:18 PM
if you tell a lie often enuf

Bill Moyers: "A democracy can die...: "

Bill Moyers: 'A democracy can die of too many lies.'



(Thanks to Leela for the link.)

"



(Via blog.)

Monday, May 16, 2005

Monday, May 16, 2005
03:37 PM
LOL you c*cks*ckere (Gawd I love Deadwood)

Some Phoenix parents might be "startled" to...: "

Some Phoenix parents might be 'startled' to learn the public library's new teen reading program is called 'Shut Up and Read,' reports The Arizona Republic. They should just be grateful the library didn't go with their first choice, 'Read a Book, You Fucking Pussy.'

"



(Via blog.)

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Saturday, May 14, 2005
11:25 PM
sharpen your pencils

The Star Wars Money Machine: "Darth Cola writes ' The Star Wars franchise has made George Lucas plenty rich. But his fortune is only a peice of a much bigger financial pie, one which Forbes.com estimates at just shy of $20 billion. They have a rundown of the Star Wars financial empire, and a market by market breakdown of where the money comes from.' From the article: 'It all started with a story treatment, handwritten in pencil on a few sheets of lined yellow legal paper. That's all that existed of the multibillion-dollar financial empire, now known as the Star Wars universe, when filmmaker George Lucas sat down in 1974 to write what, within three years, would be the biggest meteor to hit Hollywood since there's been a Hollywood.'"



(Via Slashdot.)

Saturday, May 14, 2005
10:50 PM

No-frills Tiger: "Some musings after three days with my new favorite OS..."



(Via MacDevCenter.)

Saturday, May 14, 2005
10:31 PM

Star Trek: Failed Enterprise: "Six years ago during a daytime talk show interview with Patrick Stewart, Regis Philbin said: 'I never really understood Star Trek. What are they doing up there?' To which Stewart replied, 'boldly going where no one has gone before.' The audience cheered, but the question remains unanswered to this day and none of the-powers-that-be are asking this question."



(Via Kuro5hin.org.)

Friday, May 6, 2005

Friday, May 06, 2005
11:25 PM

Barbie with a USB sticking out of her neck: "Cory Doctorow:


This is the bestest Barbie doll mod ever: a doll with a USB keychain drive in her chest, with a pop-off head that reveals the USB prongs sticking out of her neck.

Link

(via Gizmodo)

"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Friday, May 06, 2005
11:25 PM

Saturday is "Free Comic Book Day": "Mark Frauenfelder:
A lot of comic retailers are going to give away free comic books on Saturday. Fantagraphics has published a nice giveaway comic, and Girlamatic will be free to all visitors all day on Saturday, May 7, 2005, starting at midnight Eastern time.



 Users Bd Hereville Medium
If you haven't yet checked out the great comics on the site (including
Jenn Manley Lee's amazing 'Dicebox,' Jason Thompson's creepy
teen-angst drorror -- horror and drama, get it? -- 'The Stiff,' the
Narbonic spin-off 'Li'l Mell,' or the too-cute-for-words 'Jeepers,'
just to name a few, now's your chance!

Girlamatic is an award-winning webcomics publication, one of the first
and most successful spin-offs of Modern Tales, featuring lots of
comics that aren't specifically targetted at male readers, and that,
you know, kind of sort of are mostly intended for female audiences.
But guys are welcome or whatever. I guess that's the
politically-correct way to put it. Or, as Girlamaticker Lisa Jonte
puts it -- 'Come for the cooties, stay for the comics!'

Subscriptions cost $2.95/month or $29.95/year and include heaping
helpings of our eternal gratitude. We don't use no stinking DRM,
and members are welcome to share their passwords with friends,
within reason (share your password with two or ten people, we're okay
-- share it with the whole public internet, we're not happy -- that sort of thing).



Link"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Friday, May 06, 2005
11:22 PM

Web Zen: Comics Zen: "Xeni Jardin:

questionable content
nothing nice to say
achewood
robot the robot
pbf
bucket and dog
random urine
exhilarator
alien loves predator
dinosaur comics
bunny
bunny suicides

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

"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Thursday, May 5, 2005

Thursday, May 05, 2005
08:31 PM
not for dead heads

In Praise Of Deadwood: "Lisa climbs aboard the Quality TV Bandwagon. But, no, really, 'Deadwood' is good. Written by Lisa Schmeiser."



(Via TeeVee.)

Thursday, May 05, 2005
07:30 PM
kind of like my budget

High-voltage machine shrinks quarters to the size of dimes: "Cory Doctorow:


An electricity hobbyist has built a machine that uses a 22,000-volt capacitor to cause the molecules in a quarter to 'rearrange and nuzzle closer, shrinking the coin's circumference to that of a dime,' albeit with an 'ear-shattering crack.'

Link

Update: Romana sez, 'The quote, 'cause the molecules in a quarter to 'rearrange and nuzzle closer, shrinking the coin's circumference to that of a dime,'' seems to imply that the molecules aren't already about as close as they can get. In fact since these are metallic coins, the 'molecules' are actually atoms.' (see pic)


'Even better, they have a whole theory section, which confirmed that I'd first seen this in th Smithsonian crushing a can in the early 70s.' Link 1, Link 2

"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Thursday, May 05, 2005
07:29 PM
may it rest in pieces

" So they've gone and killed 'Star...: "

'So they've gone and killed 'Star Trek.' And it's about time,' says Orson Scott Card.

"



(Via blog.)

Wednesday, May 4, 2005

Wednesday, May 04, 2005
09:51 PM

Right wing blogs go ape over George Lucas article in Wired: "Mark Frauenfelder:
Steve Silberman's excellent story about George Lucas in the current issue of Wired is inciting a good deal of mouth foaming and carpet chewing on conservative blogs. Says Steve: 'My Lucas story has blown up on right-wing blogs like Instapundit and the National Review Online, after being referenced on a conservative forum about film called Libertas.  What's strange is that -- with the exception of Libertas -- Lucas' 'statements,' particularly re: Fahrenheit 9/11, are being condemned with no link to the story or the online Q&A, as if Lucas' supposed opinions are just in the air somewhere.  And while Lucas critiqued F911 in the interview, the wingers are characterizing him as a 'Moore-loving liberal.'' Link"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Wednesday, May 04, 2005
09:49 PM
I've seen him at the gym

Boris Vallejo's Totally Ripped Jesus for sale: "Xeni Jardin:


I've blogged before about the supreme kitsch work of artist Boris Vallejo. He of the mulletted men and tragically bitchin' vixens. Here's an eBay auction for what is identified as a 1969 painting by the black velvet master. A seemingly 'roided-out Christ with excellent delts is ripping himself right off the cross. Asking price is $13K.



Link (Thanks Nick)


Previously on BB: Erotokitsch master: Boris Vallejo

"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Wednesday, May 04, 2005
09:48 PM

iPod Shuffles made of food: "Cory Doctorow:


A competition to produce an iPod Mini Shuffle out of common foodstuffs had many delicious entries made from Altoids, Spam, chocolate, and the winner: bananas, apples and spaghetti.

Link

(via Kottke)

"



(Via Boing Boing.)

Wednesday, May 04, 2005
09:48 PM

Even Stormtroopers must pee.: "Xeni Jardin:


Does Stormtrooper body armor come with a zipper fly? I'm still not sure, but this is certainly one of the finest Star Wars fan-culture photos I've seen. Link to photographer AJ Mast's portfolio, select image #8 from the right hand column -- or use this direct link. (Thanks, Vic)

"



(Via Boing Boing.)