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Misconceptions about the Big Bang
This is definitely the best and simplest
article I've read on explaining exactly what the big bang was. Here's a small part of it:
Similarly, the big bang happened everywhere--in the room in which you are reading this article, in a spot just to the left of Alpha Centauri, everywhere. It was not a bomb going off at a particular spot that we can identify as the center of the explosion. Likewise, in the balloon analogy, there is no special place on the surface of the balloon that is the center of the expansion.
This ubiquity of the big bang holds no matter how big the universe is or even whether it is finite or infinite in size. Cosmologists sometimes state that the universe used to be the size of a grapefruit, but what they mean is that the part of the universe we can now see--our observable universe--used to be the size of a grapefruit.
Observers living in the Andromeda galaxy and beyond have their own observable universes that are different from but overlap with ours. Andromedans can see galaxies we cannot, simply by virtue of being slightly closer to them, and vice versa. Their observable universe also used to be the size of a grapefruit. Thus, we can conceive of the early universe as a pile of overlapping grapefruits that stretches infinitely in all directions. Correspondingly, the idea that the big bang was "small" is misleading. The totality of space could be infinite. Shrink an infinite space by an arbitrary amount, and it is still infinite.
Firefox
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.5) Gecko/20041107 Firefox/1.0
Looks fine to me.
Firefox Issues?
Can any of you that have Firefox please go look at this blog in Firefox and tell me if it looks wierd to you? I have a reported issue and need to know if it is just the one machine or if it is more global (I am using firefox and I see it fine).
Specifically, the nav bar moves itself over to the left and above the main post area?
I have seen the screenshots, but I can't tell if anyone else sees it this way. Anyway, please report back on your viewing experience so I can make a call on this.
Thanks.
- The Management
Fox Gets STRANGE
20th Century Fox has picked up the rights to Rob Reger's EMILY THE STRANGE. The film will be a mix of live-action and animation.
The story centers on Emily the Strange, a rail-thin 13-year-old whose clothes are as black as her hair and as dark as the tone of her adventures.
Since its creation in 1993, Reger's character has turned into a multimillion-dollar industry.
Reger told the Hollywood Reporter, "I've been approached by many studios and producers, but only Fox was willing to make me a true partner in the process, and thus ensuring the integrity of the character."
Free Ice Cream at Starbucks Today
Re: Ghost Town Pix
Looks like a very cool place.
A peek inside the real Batmobile
Kick Ass Wallpaper
This PLace kicks ass - they sell 70's style wallpaper. I'd love to slap this stuff up on my walls - it's tiles that come to you in 6 different patterns so you can make the wall look any way that you want. [
check it] (click English)(Obviosly)(Except you Wendy, you can read it in German)
re: Must. See. Movie.
8:15. Great Mall. Tonight. Be There.
Cosmic Crash Won't Destroy Comet or Earth
BOULDER, Colorado - Late Sunday and early Monday, skywatchers might be treated to celestial fireworks unlike anything witnessed before.
Like some Space Age equivalent of WrestleMania,
NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft is double-billed to tangle with Comet Tempel 1 on July 4. The mission is a two-part project: A "Flyby" vehicle will unleash an "Impactor" probe that will slam into the fast-moving comet.
The event could be visible from backyards. But for some, the novel space shot conjures visions of comet chunks careening into Earth. Is there any chance that Deep Impact will result in icy lumps of the comet splitting off, placing our planet in danger?
Put your crash helmets back in the closest and get some sleep. [
more]
A crappy way to view the moon
A 45-year-old man was arrested after a teenage girl found him staring at her from below an outhouse seat, police said. Police said they pulled Gary Moody, from Gardiner, Maine, from the waste tank under a log cabin outhouse on Monday." ... "We had to
decontaminate him," said Capt. Jon Hebert of the Carroll County Sheriff's Department, adding that firefighters hosed the man down before police handcuffed him. "We treated him as if he were hazardous material," Hebert said. [
more]
Ok, it's share time: When I was little, I would never go to the bathroom in the dark for EXACTLY this reason. I was always freaked out that someone or thing was in there not only looking at me, but possibly there to snatch me. I still have Porta-Potty issues, but I tend to just suck it up and go.
I think Coachella is going to be a little bit wierder next year... Thanks to this guy for taking back what normalcy I had grown to enjoy.
| | |
Ghost Town Pix
If you like pictures of deserted buildings, abandoned ore mills, desolate landscapes, dessicated car skeletons and the like, check out
these pix I took at Bodie State Park a few weeks back. It's a bit slow for dialup users, so be warned.
Chromatherapy - Electronic Light Showers
The Cost of Being Batman
Forbes has actually tried to calculate what Wayne is worth and what it would cost to be Batman. You have to click the slideshows to watch the tally, but it seems like it's actually pretty affordable :-) [
check it]
Wikki Update: D&D
People who care: The D&D Wikki was updated by a mysterious force with answers from the oracle.
People wshould go add to other past adventures so we get a complate picture.
I'll link to it from the sidebar here for everyone's convenience.
Oh Jesus Christ: BOURNE Yet Again
Universal Pictures has hired Tony Gilroy to write THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. Gilory will be paid close to $2 million for the assignment. He will base it on the Robert Ludlum's series of books.
Matt Damon has not officially signed on to the film, and most likely will not until a script is completed. No director is attached yet either.
Los Angeles Philharmonic : Video Games Live
 | Anybody interested in this? The first major U.S. concert tour featuring music from a variety of the most popular video games! They are at shoreline Sept 9. I think I may get tickets pretty soon. They appear to have a wide array of prices for the hollywood bowl show, so I guess we'll see what they have for Shoreline. Announced Game Titles in Video Games Live for the 2005 concert tour:Mario™, Zelda®, Halo®, Metal Gear Solid®, Warcraft®, Myst®, Castlevania®, Medal of Honor™, Sonic™,Tron, Tomb Raider®, Advent Rising, Headhunter, Beyond Good & Evil™, Splinter Cell®, Ghost Recon™, Rainbow Six®, EverQuest® II and a special retro arcade segment that goes from Pong® to DonkeyKong®! LMK in the next few if you want to go and I'll get tickets when they go on sale. |
RIP voices of Tigger, Piglet
Two of the Disney Winnie the Pooh voice actors — Paul Winchell (Tigger) amd John Fiedler (Piglet) — died this weekend. [
more]
Blogger images
Congrat folks! You can now post images here without having to host them! The blogger Images tool will let you upload photos as well as help you to link to ones that are already on the net. For whatever reason thogh, my blog won't let you align anything but center, so be sure to choose that option. [
tutorial]
I will look into why that is happening and let you know how it goes. Also, if you want to be able to post with an image to the left or right like I do, I can teach you the HTML to make that happen, so just ask!
Holy Jesus: Boy had fetus in stomach
After a boy in Bangladesh complained of a stomach ache, doctors discovered a fetus in his abdomen. Apparently, the 4.5 pound fetus was 16-year-old Abu Raihan's undeveloped twin. Physicians at Bangabadnhu Medical University surgically removed it on Saturday. From the BBC News:
"Apart from the head, all other limbs of the baby were developed," (said Dr. MA Mazid).
The condition is known as "foetus in foeto", or inclusion twin.
"In this case the foetus of the baby entered into the foetus of the boy and continued to grow like a tumour in the boy's abdomen," gynaecology specialists Nurun Nahar said. [more]
re: Noelle just creeped me out with this
I am now the proud owner of lickyoureye.com. No. Seriously.
More comming on that when I get a plan together.
Boffins create zombie dogs
 | SCIENTISTS have created eerie zombie dogs, reanimating the canines after several hours of clinical death in attempts to develop suspended animation for humans. US scientists have succeeded in reviving the dogs after three hours of clinical death, paving the way for trials on humans within years. Pittsburgh's Safar Centre for Resuscitation Research has developed a technique in which subject's veins are drained of blood and filled with an ice-cold salt solution. The animals are considered scientifically dead, as they stop breathing and have no heartbeat or brain activity. But three hours later, their blood is replaced and the zombie dogs are brought back to life with an electric shock. [ more] |
Noelle just creeped me out with this
...so I share it with y'all.
Perhaps you could use some
Pizazz!
Land of the Dead
 | I give this an "eh".
It had lots of zombies. It had some innovative ways to die and ways to re-kill zombies. It had a plot. It accomplished it's goals. And yet, still "eh".
It didn't scare me much, and it barely even grossed me out, and I have a low gross-out point. I was hoping for at least a few jumps, but I got nothin'.
It'd be a good drive-in movie,though, if you are into that. |
| | |
Illegal space-race through Los Angeles, June 25
LA is big. Big enough for an "illegal space race". We will place the planets true to scale (sun, 4 meters in diameter, Pluto, one centimeter in diameter, about 20 miles away) throughout the LA cityscape. Then we will conduct a car race. The team that makes it through 'LA space' fastest wins the interplanetary trophy. In conclusion, of course, the speeds of the cars will be calculated, for example, how much faster than light they were. Patrick Dondl of Caltech will be on hand as astrophysical guest commentator to comment on the events. [
experience the experience]
re: For all you Tom Cruise fans out there....
For all you Tom Cruise fans out there....
I regret to inform the individuals who sent me 37 emails that arrived in my spam box today, that I do not, in fact, have "MILF Mania"
NNDB
So I was reading some blog that pointed me to this site via the article on
Tom Cruise (blog post entitled "Tom Cruise is a fffffffffffffffffffucking nut"), and then looking at the
list of scientologists in the news.
Anyway,
NNDB is pretty cool. Here's the "What is?" on their site:
NNDB is an intelligence aggregator that tracks the activities of people we have determined to be noteworthy, both living and dead. Superficially, it seems much like a "Who's Who" where a noted person's curriculum vitae is available (the usual information such as date of birth, a biography, and other essential facts.)
But it mostly exists to document the connections between people, many of which are not always obvious. A person's otherwise inexplicable behavior is often understood by examining the crowd that person has been hanging out with.
Eventually, we will have synopses and analyses of creative works by the people in the database, including their books, films, and recordings.
Pentagon databasing students
The Defense Department began working yesterday with a private marketing firm to create a database of high school students ages 16 to 18 and all college students to help the military identify potential recruits in a time of dwindling enlistment in some branches. The program is provoking a furor among privacy advocates. The new database will include personal information including birth dates, Social Security numbers, e-mail addresses, grade-point averages, ethnicity and what subjects the students are studying." ... According to the Federal Register notice, the data will be open to "those who require the records in the performance of their official duties." It said the data would be protected by passwords. [
more]
Kickass Kung Fu: Like Dance Dance Revolution for martial artists
 | Kickass Kung Fu is a video-game in which you use real martial-arts moves to control an on-screen kung-fu fighter in order to best both human and AI opponents. The game takes place on a 5 meter cushioned playfield suitable for martial arts and acrobatics training. Using custom computer vision technology, you are taken inside an artificial reality where the normal laws of physics no longer apply. Your movements are exaggerated so that you can easily dodge your opponent's bullets by jumping five meters in the air and landing behind his back. Using the dual projected screens, one at each end of the playfield, you can also continue by counter-attacking your stupefied enemy from the behind. [ more] |
Check it out - car covered in Computer Keys
Clickwheel brings comics, animation to iPod
 | William Simons of Clickwheel says: "We've just created the world's first and only desktop application for downloading digital comics to the iPod photo. It's currently available as a demo version, which you're free to download from www.clickwheel.net." [ via] That's just awesome. |
Smart swimming goggles
 | Katie Williams, from Brunel University in London, has created a nifty prototype of swimming goggles . The total time spent swimming, the number of laps completed and the speed traveled are shown in a tiny heads-up display inside the goggle lens, using a system that reflects information off tiny mirrors. [ more] |
Howl's Moving Castle
 | A bunch of us saw Howl's Moving Castle last night. I liked it a lot. I thought it was easy to follow and a great story. It's based on a book by Dianna Wynn Jones apparently, who was recommended by Neil. Some people in my group didn't like it as much as Spritited Away, but I liked it a lot more than that one. The animation was beautiful, it was just wierd enough to have street cred as Anime, and it was at times really funny. And there's a dog that reminds me strangly of Onyx. :-) Anway, if you get the chance, go see it! |
Portable urban hideout
 | "City Hideout" is a foldable metal box that you can quickly set up and sit inside whenever you want to temporarily stop dealing with people. When deployed, the box looks like ordinary equipment housing found on city sidewalks. The vents in the box allow you to see the world outside without being seen yourself. [ check it] That's just awesome. |
Home made stuffed animal every day
This
extreme crafter makes a new stuffed animal every day --
Here's a giant gallery of the output.
My Fav:
Pac Man electric guitar
 | This homebrew Pac Man guitar was built on a dare, but it includes loads of grace-notes: "A variable-speed knob is located on the eyeball so you can synchronize the blinker to the beat." [ check it][ via] |
Supreme Court Rules Cities May Seize Homes
WASHINGTON - A divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses against their will for private development in a decision anxiously awaited in communities where economic growth often is at war with individual property rights.
As a result, cities now have wide power to bulldoze residences for projects such as shopping malls and hotel complexes in order to generate tax revenue. [
more]
So much for land of the free, and the rights to own property...
For your PDA for God: Sandals write "Jesus Loves You" in the sand
 | Shoes of The Fisherman sandals have treads in them that leave the message JESUS LOVES YOU in the sand.
Um, ya. Thinking of what to say.... |
Happy Summer Solstice!
And longest day of the year! Yay! Now it can start getting dark early again!!!
re:Insults, Shakespearean Style
Mine:
Draw thy tool. My naked weapon is out.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... This seems less like and
insult and more like a
promise ;-)
Insults, Shakespearean Style
Gellar to Play ALICE in Wonderland
Universal Pictures has signed Sarah Michelle Gellar to star in ALICE, which is based on the EA videogame created by American McGee. Marcus Nispel will direct. Erich and Jon Hoeber wrote the script.
This twisted take on Lewis Carroll's classic "picks up Alice after her home has been destroyed and family killed. The sole survivor of the disaster, she returns to a dark and threatening Wonderland where she must confront her fears before returning to her normal life."
I haven't figured out what I think about this - I guess I need to see a trailer.
CareerBuilder Sucks
So I have a standing search on CareerBuilder.com that sends me back links to jobs every day. I do this on a few of these agencies just to make sure I don't miss anything really cool. Anyway, under my standard search for "Web Designer" today, I got one hit back:
DANCERS-BIKINIMust be over 21, Good tips!! 408-734-1454
*sigh* This is almost as bad as Adobe matching me to Director, Accounting all the time.
Teen acne may protect against heart disease
Teenage boys who suffer from acne may be less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease in later life than their clear skinned peers. Sufferers of the confidence-denting skin condition are one-third less likely to die from coronary heart disease, according to a UK study of 10,000 men.
The researchers believe that the androgens responsible for bringing on acne may have a protective effect on the heart. [
more]
By this standard, my heart should pump well after I am dead....
No paradox for time travellers
THE laws of physics seem to permit time travel, and with it, paradoxical situations such as the possibility that people could go back in time to prevent their own birth. But it turns out that such paradoxes may be ruled out by the weirdness inherent in laws of quantum physics.
Some solutions to the equations of Einstein's general theory of relativity lead to situations in which space-time curves back on itself, theoretically allowing travellers to loop back in time and meet younger versions of themselves. Because such time travel sets up paradoxes, many researchers suspect that some physical constraints must make time travel impossible. Now, physicists Daniel Greenberger of the City University of New York and Karl Svozil of the Vienna University of Technology in Austria have shown that the most basic features of quantum theory may ensure that time travellers could never alter the past, even if they are able to go back in time. [
more]
I want one: Dude makes rotary phone into a cell phone
And he carries it around with him all day:
[
more] (and there's even movies!)
RE: hmmm, where have I seen this before? An $18,000 bar of soap
Politicians have the best fat for soaps.
hmmm, where have I seen this before? An $18,000 bar of soap
A bar of soap sold for $18,000 this week at Art Basel, a massive international art fair in Switzerland. Gianni Motti's soap artwork was purportedly fabricated from fat formerly belonging to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. From Ananova:
 | The artist said: "Berlusconi had face lifting and liposuction operations in a clinic in Lugano, where I have good connections that provided me with some of the fat. It was jelly-like and it stunk horribly, like butter gone off or old chip pan oil." According to Motti, the artwork called Mani Pulite (which means "clean hands" in Italian) expresses opposition to corruption and mafia structures in Italy, as well as his personal opinion of Berlusconi's policies. [ more][ CNN] |
Narrator: Tyler sold his soap to department stores at $20 a bar. Lord knows what they charged. It was beautiful. We were selling rich women their own fat asses back to them.
BEER TROUBLESHOOTING CHART
Key:SYMPTOM
FAULT
ACTION
Feet cold and wet.
Glass being held at incorrect angle.
Rotate glass so that open end points toward ceiling.
Feet warm and wet.
Improper bladder control.
Stand next to nearest dog, complain about house training.
Beer unusually pale and tasteless.
Glass empty.
Get someone to buy you another beer
Opposite wall covered with fluorescent lights.
You have fallen over backward.
Have yourself lashed to bar.
Mouth contains cigarette butts.
You have fallen forward.
See above.
Beer tasteless, front of your shirt is wet.
Mouth not open, or glass applied to wrong part of face.
Retire to restroom, practice in mirror.
Floor blurred.
You are looking through bottom of empty glass.
Get someone to buy you another beer.
Floor moving.
You are being carried out.
Find out if you are being taken to another bar.
Room seems unusually dark.
Bar has closed.
Confirm home address with bartender.
Taxi suddenly takes on colorful aspect and textures.
Beer consumption has exceeded personal limitations.
Cover mouth.
Everyone looks up to you and smiles.
You are dancing on the table.
Fall on somebody cushy-looking.
Beer is crystal-clear.
It's water. Somebody is trying to sober you up.
Punch him.
Hands hurt, nose hurts, mind unusually clear.
You have been in a fight.
Apologize to everyone you see, just in case it was them.
Don't recognize anyone, don't recognize the room you're in.
You've wandered into the wrong party.
See if they have free beer.
Your singing sounds distorted.
The beer is too weak.
Have more beer until your voice improves.
Don't remember the words to the song.
Beer is just right.
Play air guitar
Heh, the Murcury made a funny
In the article about Batman Begins:
People can think what they will about Cruise,but he has scored with more of Batman's women than Batman has.
Referring of course to Katie Holmes and KFWNK (A.K.A. Nicole Kidman), neither of which Batman actually slept with.
US casualties map
Counties that went Democrat are 48% of the nation but they represent 72% of the casualties in Iraq... [
see for yourself]
"The war cheerleaders don't seem to be pulling their own weight. It figures."
Public Apology
Here Ye! Here Ye!
This is a formal public apology to Mr. Carl Bahor, who I have been accusing of accidentally throwing out my VCR remote for several months.
He did no such thing.
Said remote was indeed burred in the darkest depths of my nightstand.
I was, in fact, mistaken.
I extend my deepest sympathies to Carl for all of the crap I have given him about the remote. He is welcome to give me an equal amount of crap back for being wrong in restitution.
I'm an asshole. I'm sorry.
That is all.
BadApple plugin: search and play any podcast in iTunes
Podcast support for iTunes is here! Download the free BadApple plug-in which expands the functionality and interoperability of iTunes software. (iTunes is music software which works with iPod MP3 players.) BadApple adds interoperability to view and download podcasts directly within iTunes software. There's no need to download and learn other software programs because everything happens right in the iTunes software. [
more]
Editor's note: I have no idea about this product. I'll try it later, but really, I'm just being the cruise ship social director that I normally am and pointing people in directions they may want to go... If you have info on this, please feel free to post about it.
What Naughty My Little Pony Are You?
You Are Absinthe
 | You have a unique personality. Although most like you, sometimes you take some getting used to. You can be a bit strong. You are full of energy and sometimes flamboyant. You are the life of the party but if people are not careful you can knock them on their ass.What Naughty My Little Pony Are You? Ya, ok, I agree with that. [ via SoulCookie] |
Re: Everyone welcome Amber!
Hey guys! Only took 6 months and Noelle was finally able to help me figure this shit out :O
Re: Tom Cruise Proposes to Katie Holmes
"He keeps publically calling her "magnificent", which, after years of being around horses when I was young, I have only ever heard an equine be called."Must... avoid ... obvious ... joke.....
Humunga Tongue
All-in-one ball and tongue
Genius. PURE Genius. [
get one]
Holo Video
True holographic video has now reached
proof of concept stage. The device uses a Texas Instruments digital light processing micromirror chip, but instead of white light it reflects laser light that reconstitutes an image from an interferogram. [
via]
Fourth Major Quake Hits Calif. This Week
A 6.6-magnitude temblor hit about 125 miles off the coast of Eureka around 11:30 p.m., rattling the ocean floor. In the afternoon, a 4.9-magnitude quake struck east of Los Angeles, startling people and knocking items off shelves and desks. [
more]
I have no idea how I felt this, but last night at 11:30, I turned to Carl and said "We just had am earthquake."
Tom Cruise Proposes to Katie Holmes
PARIS - Tom Cruise popped the question to Katie Holmes at the Eiffel Tower early Friday and then announced the news to the world — they're getting married. [
more]
I have no idea why I am so interested in this whole thing. He keeps publically calling her "magnificent", which, after years of being around horses when I was young, I have only ever heard an equine be called.
RFID'd employee health control
Another episode of the long series of "Nothing can stop RFID."
Tanita and Sony Communication Network are now testing an RFID-based health management system. The system uses
FeliCa RFID cards to automatically record the calories and nutritional data of what workers eat at the corporate cafeteria of Sony's headquarter office. The information is integrated with other data captured by medical devices such as blood pressure sensors and body fat sensors. Dieticians and other experts check the collected data and suggest how the workers should improve their living habit. [
via]
Not practical at all, but kind of cool: HOWTO Stream from iTunes to your mobile phone (without Apple's permission)
DittyBot is a script for OS X that uses a clever combination of mobile email and VoIP to stream music from your iTunes collection to your cellphone. Using your phone, email the title/artist info for a song in your iTunes library to DittyBot, which is running on your Mac, pulling down mail every minute. DittyBot receives the request, calls you with Skype, and plays the song back to you over voice-over-IP using iTunes. Wow. [
more]
RE: Controlling cell phones with your mind
Oh, I didn't mean to infer that I thought this would control your mind at all, it just is so crazy close to being able to do that, I thought I'd get a head start by being silly.
RE: Controlling cell phones with your mind
This makes me want to put on a foil hat and run around screaming "THE FUTURE IS NOW!!!"
They mean mind control as in you control things with your mind, not that they are controlling your mind with things. :-)
I think it'll be pretty funny when they make devices based on this technology and it turns out that tinfoil is not actually sufficient to prevent their operation. (Assuming it isn't, of course.)
RE: Future Giant Laser Threatened by Cuts
OK, what I want to know is why the hell we thought building a giant "LA-zer" (Mag-ma) was good idea in the first place.If memory serves, we were going to use lasers to simulate thermonuclear explosions so as to not have to test actual thermonuclear weapons. Something about a test ban treaty or something? Kind of a good idea, really, if you believe the predicate that continued nuclear weapons testing is important. The price tag, however is due to a bunch of monumentally bad predictions (or failure to deliver upon those predictions at least) of long and expensive the project was going to be. I'm kind of surprised the program is still running since Bill Richardson (Clinton's DOE Secretary) was ready to can it after he went to Lawrence Livermore and publicly made a speech about how the project was on time and on budget only to find out a couple months later, that they were way behind schedule and way over budget. Hell, that was four or five years ago.
RE: Bacteria blamed for Bermuda Triangle
Oh, that's great. What the environment really needs is humans burning more hydrocarbons.
Smoking is cool
Here's some exciting medical news from the Chinese government: Smoking is great for your health. Cigarettes, according to China's tobacco authorities, are an excellent way to prevent ulcers. They also reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease, relieve schizophrenia, boost your brain cells, speed up your thinking, improve your reactions and increase your working efficiency. And all those warnings about lung cancer? Nonsense. [
more]
House votes to limit Patriot Act
In a slap at President Bush, lawmakers voted Wednesday to block the Justice Department and the FBI from using the Patriot Act to peek at library records and bookstore sales slips. Despite a veto threat from President Bush, lawmakers voted 238-187 to block the part of the antiterrorism law that allows the government to investigate the reading habits of terror suspects. [
more]
Controlling cell phones with your mind
A Silicon Valley startup is working on a technology that allows people to control a mobile device using brainwave sensing.
One of the intriguing possibilities for NeuroSky's technology is a sleep detector. If you were driving a car and started to fall asleep, the system could sound an alarm and wake you up. NeuroSky is working with partners, most notably China's Ziyitong Technology to develop a sleep-detector as well as systems for gaming and Attention Deficit Disorder.[more]
This makes me want to put on a foil hat and run around screaming "THE FUTURE IS NOW!!!" Wierd.
Bacteria blamed for Bermuda Triangle
Scientists at Cardiff University are studying whether bacteria that thrive in the high pressures of deep ocean sediments could be a source of sustainable energy. Some of the bacteria spew methane that accumulates in massive fields of ice-like "methane hydrates." Methane hydrates might also be the secret behind an old
mystery. [
more]
Re: Everyone say hi to Aki and Rachel
Because you are new to the Blog, and from the backward mid-west, I won't chide you about the fact that you have an AOL account.
This time. ;-)
Go bask in the glory of the bat, trust me
 | Batman. WOW. Go see it. The more I think about it, the more I liked it. I thought it was incredibly well done, and, although I seem to be the one person who liked the older movies, this was nothing like them. It was true Batman. It's dark. It's kind of messed up at times. And it's almost believable.
Anyway, I'll be up for seeing it again if anyone wants to form an excursion. I belive that it is in IMAX in Dublin (which also happens to be 5 minutes from my place of work). |
Anti-aircraft tower turned into luxury apartment
BERLIN (Reuters) - An anti-aircraft tower ordered by Adolf Hitler to guard Berlin during World War II is being transformed into an art gallery and luxury penthouse apartment with James Bond-style decor. [
more]
DUDE! THAT'S AWESOME!!!!!!
Future Giant Laser Threatened by Cuts
WASHINGTON - A giant laser being built to simulate the explosion of a hydrogen bomb is facing funding cuts in the Senate that supporters say could kill the project after $2.8 billion has been spent on it.
The device, which would focus 192 lasers at a single point to create a huge release of energy, is nearing completion at the Lawrence Livermore nuclear weapons lab in Northern California. [
more]
OK, what I want to know is why the hell we thought building a giant "LA-zer" (Mag-ma) was good idea in the first place. 2.8 BILL-ion dollars seems like it could go a long way in helping the homeless or providing schooling and health care for kids. Maybe it's just me...
(GOD I love
talking typing like Dr. E-vil)
Brazilian doctors uncover 'Michelangelo code'
SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - Two Brazilian doctors and amateur art lovers believe they have uncovered a secret lesson on human anatomy hidden by Renaissance artist Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel's ceiling. [
more]
Re: Everyone say hi to Aki and Rachel
I suppose it would help if AOL didn't hide my invite in the Spam folder... *grumble*
And Satrring Jon! as PLASTIC MAN!!!!!!
San Jose police: 'Horrendous' molester may have had thousands of victims
SAN JOSE – A convicted child molester jailed in California may have committed sex crimes against thousands of victims, police said Thursday after finding computers, notebooks and meticulous, handwritten lists with more than 36,000 boys' names and codes apparently indicating various sex acts. [
more]
Smart...... car...pet? uhhh, ok...
 | Modern girls' best friend, the robotic vacuum cleaner, sweeps up messes, but its random path can leave some dirt untouched. Now German companies Vorwerk and Infineon have prototyped an electronic carpet that wirelessly navigates a robot over every square inch of a floor, and can even direct the machine to revisit sections it missed.[ check that!] |
Our two newest bloggers!
Their Blogs have also been added to the click section for your own personal entertainment!
The Guilt Organizer
Oy Vay! Like I need an application to tell me
which of my friends I'm neglecting. No thanks, at least until it can automatically schedule in time for me with that neglected friend.
Bush for Life?
It's not a rumor: Representatives Hoyer, Berman, Sensenbrenner, Sabo and Pallone want to
repeal the
22nd amendment, thus paving the way for a Republican President For Life.
Well, he'd still have to get elected each term, but yeah... that woud really suck. Although, maybe it could possibly bite them in the ass and we could just make Clinton King.
Cast Wooed For Beowulf
Columbia Pictures is negotiating with Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Brendan Gleeson and Robin Wright Penn to star in director Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf, a film based on the classic Anglo-Saxon epic poem, Variety reported. [
more]
Note: This was adapted by Neil and Roger Avery, so it should be pretty cool.
Sweet: Sci-Fi Bottles FIREFLY
The Sci Fi Channel has acquired the rights to air Joss Whedon's FIREFLY this summer.
The channel will be running fourteen episodes, including three that never aired, staring in July.
Binary manicure
 | The binary even spells out “SilverAJ"… Those of you in London who want wicked custom nail designs can get in touch with him - he’s Viet at Perfect Nails, 126 Hoe Street, Walthamstow (0208 520 3113). It’s best to make an appointment - they get mega busy, especially at weekends! It’s normally around £25, but something intricate like this could be up to £30. [ via] And in the Trademarked words of Paris Hilton: That's Hot. |
Spreading the word for Neil
 | Neil asked that people spread the word, and the link, to the trailer for Mirrormask on Yahoo trailers. If they get a lot of hits, they will know people want to see it. So here's the link. Go forth and view. Now. It's certainly visually stunning. |
Status Update
Snot has mostly dried up. I feel kinda crappy, but generally ok. Will most likely be in better shape tomorrow. Thanks for all the happy wishes!
Bomb-building facility opens its doors
OAK RIDGE, Tennessee (AP) -- The government is offering a rare glimpse of the massive machines used to enrich uranium for the "Little Boy" bomb -- the first atomic weapon used in war, dropped 60 years ago in August on Hiroshima, Japan.
[more]
Democracy a 'bad word'
SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- Chinese bloggers, even on foreign-sponsored sites, better chose their words carefully -- the censors are watching.
[more]
Minogue: 'Long road' to beat cancer
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Kylie Minogue has thanked her fans for their support since she was diagnosed with breast cancer, saying she'll have more treatment when she returns to Europe.
{more}
Child dies after Disney World ride
Officials say 4-year-old boy died at hospital after riding on Epcot's 'Mission: Space.'
[more]
Home today with my snot
I am sick. Have a cold. Mad.
Computer graphics card reveals supernova collapse
New software enabling scientists to perform mind-boggling mathematical calculations and see the results rendered almost instantly on their screens has been released by US researchers
{more}(click here to see it in action)
Plasma in reactors echoes distribution of galaxies
Nuclear fusion reactors could be used to study what the universe was like just after the big bang. So claims a physicist who noticed that the plasma created inside these reactors is distributed in a strikingly similar way to galaxies in today's universe.
[more]
Superfast 'gun' addresses Jupiter's core issues
Fifty times faster than a bullet, a metal plate smashes into chilled deuterium - the blazing result offers insights into the hidden hearts of gas giants
(more)
Calcium-rich diets may prevent PMS
Women with a high intake of calcium and vitamin D reduce their risk of clinical premenstrual syndrome by almost 50%, a new study suggests
{more}
Gamers turn cities into a battleground
Matt has been abandoned on Tower Bridge, London, with nothing except his clothes and a mobile phone. A woman dressed in black walks past, and Matt receives a text message to follow her. He doesn't know who she is, or where she is going. All he knows is that he must follow her if he is to find Uncle Roy.
[more]
Forget-Me-Not Panties
Ever worry about your wife cheating?
Want to know where your daughter is late at night?
Need to know when your girlfriend's temperature is rising?
This amazing device will answer all of your questions! These panties can give you her location, and even her temperature and heart rate, and she will never even know it's there! Unlike the cumbersome and uncomfortable chastity belts of the past, these panties are 100% cotton, and use cutting-edge technology to help you protect what matters most. [
yeaaaaaaaaahhhhh, get a life...]
What confuses a Star Wars prequel fan about the original trilogy
Some questions raised by a seven-year-old who'd only seen the Star Wars prequels, on seeing the original trilogy for the first time:
- "Wow! Is the Death Star done already? I guess that's how you know that a long time has passed."
- "Look... Obi-Wan is pretending he doesn't know R2-D2." (see Hole/No-hole: Why doesn't Obi-Wan remember R2? )...
- "Is Chewbacca the only Wookiee that survives the Clone Wars?" (with great concern)...
- "So, does this mean that R2-D2 is really the main character in Star Wars?"
And my personal favorite:
- "Why are red leader and gold leader the leaders? They don't know what they're doing..."
[
more]
| | |
This weekend's shows...
So this weekend I saw Mr. and Mrs Smith, Tea at 5 and Strictly Ballroom.
M&MS: Hey, good flick. Recommended! It was funny, coherant, action packed and who doesn't want to look at Brad Pitt and angelina Jolie for 2 hours? Not up for an Oscar or anything, but good solid entertainment.
Strictly Ballroom: By Baz, so what's not to love. Good rental!
Tea at 5: When I went into this, I had no idea what it was. Turns out, it's the captain from Voyager (Janeway) doing Katherine Hepburn for 2 hours in a one woman show! Muy bueno! I was so stoked to see her, and then was so happy with her portrayal that I forgot it was her for the whole second act. If you can see this in SF, it's very good!
I guess that means that this weekend's entertainment was great! I have been feeling a bit under the weather so these were a great distraction!
Yoda origami
|  | This downloadable PDF has step-by-step instructions for folding an amazing, lifelike Yoda: "Bad grammar have I you think? When 700 years you have, talk like your Zadie you will too!" [ make it, you can] |
Russian adware trojan pays programmers 6.1 cents per infection
A Russian adware site is paying programmers 6.1 cents for every machine they infect with an trojan that displays the Russian company's customers' ads. [
more]
My house if going to blow up one of these days...
Cats use fax as toilet, spark house fire
TOKYO (Reuters) - Two kittens picked the wrong place to relieve themselves when they urinated on a fax machine, sparking a fire that extensively damaged their Japanese owner's house. [
more]
Good News!!!
AY!!!!!! I just got an email fron Sean that says:
Last Friday Coalee found a sea shell in a tide pool on Catalina and it had a beautiful surprise in it. I asked her to marry me! She said............. YES! Pass it on. :o)
| | |
And Noelle proudly stands up on her soapbox...
WHAT THE FUCK????? GOD DAMN I *HATE* this administration.
Public Broadcasting Targeted By House
A House subcommittee voted yesterday to sharply reduce the federal government's financial support for public broadcasting, including eliminating taxpayer funds that help underwrite such popular children's educational programs as "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow," "Arthur" and "Postcards From Buster."
In addition, the subcommittee acted to eliminate within two years all federal money for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting -- which passes federal funds to public broadcasters -- starting with a 25 percent reduction in CPB's budget for next year, from $400 million to $300 million.
In all, the cuts would represent the most drastic cutback of public broadcasting since Congress created the nonprofit CPB in 1967. The CPB funds are particularly important for small TV and radio stations and account for about 15 percent of the public broadcasting industry's total revenue.
I have no words to describe the rage I feel right now. [
get pissed off too]
Random Craig's List post
Woman (or Mujer to you),
I know you are calling for a Mr. Arroyo when you leave a 7 minute message of Spanish prayer in voicemail encouraging me to read my bible. We have a few problems here.
1- the voicemail obviously says that my name is not Hecotr Arroyo
2- my voicemail is in English while your entire Biblical rant is in Spanish
3- this has happened 3 or 4 times now
4- While the thought behind your prayer is nice, the prosthelatizing is not appreciated
Please stop calling!
Also Mr. Arroyo, if you are reading this, sorry I haven't gotten the names right but....
Someone has gotten out of jail, you've had a school reunion, you also apparently have some unpaid debts, someone else called for bail from jail, a couple people wanted to see you while they were in town (didn't get the number, they were calling from a supermarket payphone at 3:15am), and a woman I can only assume was a mistress or jaded girlfriend has called for both you and your wife, Oh and some Spanish woman prayers for your soul and wants you to read your bible.
Sincerely,
The Dude with your old phone number
| | |
Urine to fight traffic pollution? Not such a baa-d idea
A bus operator in Britain is road-testing sheep urine as a way of cutting pollution, The Guardian newspaper reported Friday.
Stagecoach has fitted a tank to a bus in Winchester, southern England, which sprays urine into the exhaust fumes to reduce nitrous oxide emissions. [
I didn't make this up]
Less than 10 inches Tall!
Athlon 64 Small Form Factor Computer
[more]More on Small Form Factor computers
[SFF]
Every note of Beethoven's symphonies as a free MP3 download at the BBC
The BBC is releasing all nine of Beethoven's symphonies (five are up now) as unencumbered MP3s. [
get music free]
Good for the cube goers
 | Fridgeplay offers dozens of fridge-mounted magnetic board games, from checkers and chess to backgammon and Connect Four. Lots of nice grace-notes, like a "whose turn is it" counter that you magnet to the fridge between sessions so you can pick up where you left off. [ check them] Dude, I am totally getting chinese checkers! |
Men can subconsciously improve their sperm when competing
Men who watch porn featuring two men and a woman produce better-quality sperm, according to this story from New Scientist. The finding suggests that humans may be capable of subconsciously increasing semen quality when faced with the possibility that their sperm will have to outrun those of other men. [
uuuuuhhhh, ok, show me]
| | |
Man With Bloody Chain Saw Let in to U.S.
 | BOSTON - On April 25, Gregory Despres arrived at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing at Calais, Maine, carrying a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with what appeared to be blood. U.S. customs agents confiscated the weapons and fingerprinted Despres. Then they let him into the United States. The following day, a gruesome scene was discovered in Despres' hometown of Minto, New Brunswick: The decapitated body of a 74-year-old country musician named Frederick Fulton was found on Fulton's kitchen floor. His head was in a pillowcase under a kitchen table. His common-law wife was discovered stabbed to death in a bedroom. [ more] |
50 Smartest Things To Do With Your Money
How to earn more, save more, invest better, spend wisely and protect your family. These moves are as close to sure things as you can get.
[more]
porcupine Tree General Announcement
Anybody interested in Porcupine Tree with me and Paduan on Weds eve in SF?
They are a very cool prog rock band that I have seen before and can vouch for if you like that type of music.
http://www.porcupinetree.com/We have 2 x-tra tickets at $25 a piece, but Paduan would be willing to accept reasonable offers at this point to aviod Craigs List hassel, so you could bargain with him.
Lemme know by 6 today or he'll offer them up for grabs on CL.
Re: Invention Allows Humans to Breathe Like Fish
Saw that on slashdot the other day. Unfortunately, it does not eliminate the need for decompression stops while diving. And I would also worry about anoxic and toxic areas of water, although the emergency air bottle would probably help with that.
Invention Allows Humans to Breathe Like Fish
Alan Izhar-Bodner, an Israeli inventor, has developed a way for divers to breathe underwater without cumbersome oxygen tanks. His apparatus makes use of the air that is dissolved in water, just like fish do.
[
more]
GM Plans to Cut 25,000 U.S. Jobs by 2008
Good to know: Judges toss out DUIs because breathalyzers' source code is secret
Florida judges are tossing out DUI cases when defendants ask to see the source code for the breathalyzers that busted them -- the manufacturers won't turn over the source, and since the machine's correct operation is critical to establishing the case against the DUIers, the case is dismissed when it can't be produced. [
more]
Not that I advocate any of you being in a situation where you have to pull this card, but here's an ace in the hole if you ever get stuck. At least worth a try. And if you programmers get the code, maybe you can prove it faulty!
yep, it's
up on eBay because it got yanked by the DMV.
Again wth the lame.
Dude wants 5 grand for it. He's nuts.
Book binding at home
Neat how-to article on binding your own books. [
check it]
Wal-Mart won't print digital photos that look "professional"
Wal-Mart and other photofinishing labs are refusing to print out digital photos if they appear to have been taken by "professionals" because photographers' associations have frightened them off with the spectre of scanned-in studio shots. [
witness the LAME]
Plug Pulled On Watchmen Movie
Paramount has pulled the plug on its proposed film version of Watchmen, Alan Moore's celebrated superhero graphic novel, Variety reported. Producers Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin were taking the project, with British director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) attached, out to other studios, the trade paper reported.
Watchmen came under heavy scrutiny in the wake of Paramount chief Brad Grey's surprise move to replace Donald De Line with Gail Berman as studio president in late March, the trade paper reported. De Line found out about the change while in London meeting with Greengrass about Watchmen and the need to cut its budget, rumored to be $100 million, the trade paper reported.
Paramount had been aiming for a summer start, but began releasing crews working on preproduction at that point.
Part of me is pissed about this, and part of me is relieved because now they can't screw this one up too. That's a pretty sad state of affairs, eh?
re: Disposable video camera: $29.99
Here's a picture of it:
Disposable video camera: $29.99
Drugstore chain CVS to launch first-ever disposable video camera in Northeast stores this week.
[article]
Apple Announces Switch to Intel Chips
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - In a risky move that could further shrink its minuscule slice of the PC market, Apple Computer Inc. announced plans Monday to switch its Macintosh computers to the same Intel Corp. chips used in systems that run Microsoft Windows.
[article]
The Complete Andersen
The most comprehensive edition of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales in English on the internet [
check it]
TIE fighter casemod wins contest
 | This year's ExtremeTech casemodding competition theme was "science fiction," and the first winner has been announced: a Star Wars TIE Fighter mod that cost $300 (not including computer components)and took four months.[more] |
Five things it’s probably better not to do when you’re kind of drunk:
1. buy domain names
2. hire an attorney
3. do lots of file management from the command line
4. sort out your finances
5. telephone people you remember fondly from elementary school
[
more 5ives]
!!! E-mails 'hurt IQ more than pot'
LONDON, England -- Workers distracted by phone calls, e-mails and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana, a British study shows. [
more]
I think I'm screwed.
Re: 'Hey! Isn't that Dad up on that billboard?'
Incidentally, I find it quite ironic that "Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, who champions the approach," has a son who has been charged with rape.
OAKLAND — The shackled son of Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente kept his head bowed in court Tuesday as he was charged with raping two women, one of them a teenager whom police say he abducted.
(Oakland Tribune, "De La Fuente Jr. charged in two rapes," 04 May 2005)
Madagascar
 | Saw Madagascar yesterday. Mostly because Al and Steve-o worked on it. It was pretty ok. Didn't suck horribly, but wasn't great. I agree with Tasha's assessment that "it's cute". Worth a rental when you want an animated movie that's pretty funny that you haven't seen yet. |
Re: 'Hey! Isn't that Dad up on that billboard?'
Memo to self: Avoid Oakland when pickin' up hookers.
'Hey! Isn't that Dad up on that billboard?'
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - People who solicit prostitutes in Oakland, California, could find their faces plastered on billboards under a new shaming program that one civil rights group calls bad public policy. [
more]
Police 'free' S&M sex slave from car trunk
BERLIN (Reuters) - German police, alerted to a potential kidnapping, "freed" a man from a car trunk only to discover the would-be victim was actually a willing sex slave, authorities said Thursday.
Police stopped the car after a concerned caller told them he had seen a woman locking someone in the boot. However, on opening it, they were greeted by the sight of the 39-year-old man wearing nothing but a leather thong and a collar.
"It turned out they were a couple from the S&M scene. The 'mistress' was driving, with the slave in the boot," said a police spokesman in the southern town of Bayreuth.
Deciding the rear of the car was not safe for the man, officers told him to sit inside the car and sent the pair on their way.
| | |
Yahoo Photos Update
So I made an update to Yahoo Photos that will hopefully help people navigate through the 40 (soon to be +) albums. I prepended all but three of the names with a yy.mm.dd date format. This means that they are all in chronological order. This also means that when I post new items, they should, theoretically, be at the end of the dated entries.
The three that are not named are catch all items and they do actually get updated somewhat often...
Hopefully at some point Yahoo will update the features of the site to let me order the albums so I can switch it around so the newest is atthe beginning.
Dress-up Steve Jobs Flash app
 | The Joy of Tech has created an hilarious Steve Jobs dressup Flash app -- why should Steve be forced to do yet another MacWorld keynote in turtleneck and jeans? Dress him in a pirate hat, leather jacket, and tattoos, or a space-helmet and Mac boxers, or bell-bottoms and an Hawai'ian shirt. [ play][ via] |
Re: "Choose Your Weapon" tee
I want to find a woman that would wear that shirt without embarrassment or irony.
Apple Offers $50 Credit for IPod Batteries
SAN FRANCISCO - Consumers who had battery problems with older versions of the popular iPod digital music player will get $50 vouchers and extended service warranties under a tentative settlement in a class-action lawsuit. [
more]
iGuy
Stephy sent this over a while ago, and it keeps popping up, so I thought I might share. It's only $34.95. [
get one]
No Quake Trailer for me
Pics from Serenity Up
No Spoilers from what I can tell... [
check 'em]
HOWTO build a siege engine at multiple sizes from different materials
 | Trebuchet.com's HOWTO page includes links to plans for dozens of different home-made siege engines, from wooden tabletop models to easy-to-construct PVC pipe versions (shown here). [ check it] |
Re: One of our neighbors is moving back to Germany…
yeah... dude definetly has an agenda...
Re: One of our neighbors is moving back to Germany…
This Rules!
 | Artisan John T. Unger's recycled steel fire pits cost $450 and are highly badass! I realize this isn't a barbecue pit, per se, but -- hotdogs grilled over a hotrod-style bowl would be, well, totally hot. Next time I have a yard, this is the toy of choice! [ buy one] |
Re: Once you go Mac...
That's great! Almost as good as when they got Dave Chapelle to do
a celebrity endorsement. (Requires QuickTime, not safe for work or the easily offended.)
Re: WTF of the day: Lion Mutilates 42 Midgets...
Chewbacca.Well, that's what I figured. Some people think Worf's hand to hand combat skills would get him through, though.
p.s. Nerd girls are sexy!Nerd girls are
super sexy!
Editors Note: I don't know what editor you were using to copy and paste what you wrote out of, but it added a slew of crappy tags that made your font all F-ed up. I only know one culprit that bad, so I am going to make an assumption that you were using MS Word... Anyway I fixed it for you by removing 3/4 of what you pasted in (it was all tags, I left only content).
People! WYSIWYG Editors, most nototriously MS Word, are like drinking and driving! They don't mix!!! Microsoft makes a mean spreasheet program, but they are a clusterfuck at dealing with HTML...Just type in the blogger tool, it's fun, fast and easy!
New Faomy!!
 | It's Foamy Fan Mail VII (PILZ-E POSTMARK) PILZ-E TAKES OVER THE FAN MAIL... I LOVE Pilz-E! This one is funny - watch Germaine in the background... |
