skip to main content
April 30
Lightning On Demand
is a volunteer organization of engineers, artists, scientists and machinists. Our key objective is to produce a controllable discharge of lightning at the greatest physical scale imaginable using modern technology.
They've built the worlds biggest Tesla coil,
Electrum, a
Taser Cannon and some other
projects
posted by warbaby at 9:32 PM PST - 19 comments
10,000 kltes
to be flown on both sides of the 500-kilometer long barrier that separates Israelis and Palestinians on my birthday (but not in my honor). Inspiring, or just silly?
posted by lelilo at 8:44 PM PST - 26 comments
"We are here to hand over to you the power in order to avoid bloodshed." Today is the
thirtieth anniversary of the
Fall of
Saigon.
A
secret plan to end the war. After the rewarding the Vietnam war's
technocratic architect with the
Presidency of the World Bank, after the twin failures of President Nixon's
"madman plan", to scare the
Soviet Union into concessions over Vietnam out of fear of Nixon's insanity, and of
"Vietnamization", turning over
responsibility for the war to
the South Vietnamese, the North nevertheless
won the war.
Disposable helicopters.
Operation Frequent Wind, the
chaotic evacuation of the
American Embassy, brought to
a close fifteen
years of
American hubris. Karl Marx, who got little else right, observed "History repeats itself, the first as
tragedy, then as
farce."
posted by orthogonality at 4:41 PM PST - 50 comments
"I Punched Saddam in the Mouth"
A man known only as "Samir" worked as an Arabic interpreter for United States Special Forces in late 2003 when Saddam Hussein was captured in Tikrit: "
I was so angry. I began cussing at him, calling him a motherfucker, a son-of-a-bitch -- you name it. I told him I was Shiite from the south and was part of the revolution against him in 1991. I said he murdered my uncles and cousins. He imprisoned my father. In Arabic, Saddam told Samir to shut up. And when Saddam called him a traitor, an enraged Samir silenced his prisoner with a flurry of quick jabs to the face.
I punched Saddam in the mouth."
posted by dhoyt at 4:18 PM PST - 87 comments
How Bob the Tomato got squashed by Barney the Dinosaur
Phil Vischer, creator of those Veggie-Tales cartoons gives a reflective account of why he did
not become "The Christian Disney". So why did Big Idea Productions fail while other "Holy Cultural Warriors" are thriving? (Maybe this guy was too sincerely Christian?)
A shorter version of this Tale from "Christianity Today" magazine here.
via the spiritual center of animation on the web: Cartoon Brew
posted by wendell at 3:00 PM PST - 21 comments
Today's the day for
Mac OS X Tiger (10.4). Operating systems have
come a long way,
baby (what about the
future?), and Tiger presents a couple of features that are worthy of mention because of their design approach. The approach is to let
"tiny-scale developers," developers that might not be able to write an entire application, even a small one, develop plug-ins and extensions for core system functionality.
Dashboard has a budding user community (check
dashboard exposed,
apple's official gallery) as does
Spotlight (and not just a way to add filetypes, check
this out!) and
Automator. It's interesting to note that the most hyped features of the new operating system will all have
end-user-submitted extensions and additions making them even more essential.
posted by zpousman at 6:15 AM PST - 44 comments
April 29
Castle Attack 2
... Protect your castle from the attacking horde onslaught. You can use your archers, or lob rocks, dump boiling oil, or crush under burning logs. Extra points for accuracy.
[note: shockwave, loud music, death, destruction]
posted by crunchland at 1:15 PM PST - 19 comments
Friday Flash Fun.
Take out your aggressions on this little guy, earn $$$, then spend it on more interesting ways of hurting him.
I like putting a George Bush skin on him, laying down some mines (tip: they also stick to the walls), and handing him a grenade.
posted by Daddio at 9:05 AM PST - 12 comments
Conservatism of faith v. conservatism of doubt-
Andrew
Sullivan's take on how "fundamentalism is splitting the GOP." An interesting article that is, I think, worth reading for how it characterizes recent changes in the Republican party. He doesn't exaclty see a schism, but he isn't exactly sanguine about the future of the GOP either.
posted by OmieWise at 8:41 AM PST - 38 comments
Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798 - 2004
This report lists hundreds of instances in which the United States has used its armed forces abroad in situations of military conflict or potential conflict or for other than normal peacetime purposes. It was compiled in part from various older lists and is intended primarily to provide a rough survey of past US military ventures abroad, without reference to the magnitude of the given instance noted. The listing often contains references, especially from 1980 forward, to continuing military deployments especially US military participation in multinational operations associated with NATO or the United Nations. Most of these post-1980 instances are summaries based on Presidential reports to Congress related to the War Powers Resolution. A comprehensive commentary regarding any of the instances listed is not undertaken here.
posted by Postroad at 6:55 AM PST - 28 comments
Hello to the Krilcic family. Ten years after we last saw you we are alive and well. And I hope you are. We would like to hear from you and see you. Goodbye.
In each episode of
Videoletters, two former neighbors, friends or colleagues separated by the Bosnian war exchange video messages. Since 1999,
two filmmakers have been helping people from across the former Yugoslavia find and reconnect with one another in this way, often with heart-breaking results. Watch a
sample episode here about two young men, Vlada (a Serb) and Ivica (a Croat), whose families were close friends when the war began. [Bit more inside]
posted by Ljubljana at 2:29 AM PST - 3 comments
North Korea has the ability to arm a missile with a nuclear device. "The Pentagon's top military intelligence officer said yesterday that North Korea has the ability to arm a missile with a nuclear device, stunning senators he was addressing and prompting attempts by other defense and intelligence officials later to play down the remarks." Was Bill Clinton
right or just an
an appeaser?
But don't worry! Our
CIA and our
military have never
failed us yet, and we have
wise leaders: "No terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq." -- Donald Rumsfeld, testimony to Congress, Sept. 19, 2002. So, will we be
protecting America from WMDs, that is, giving the "Gift of Democracy" in Pyongyang, or just buying off Mr. Kim again?
posted by orthogonality at 12:52 AM PST - 33 comments
April 28
The Tao of Skinny-Dipping.
[nytimes reg required]
After long days spent defending their positions atop New York's most competitive fields, Manhattan's alpha males need to unwind. From mistresses to treadmills, these men have as many forms of relaxation as sources of stress. But some of the city's titans have a secret. They meet around private pools in private clubs and swim together, naked.
posted by jba at 10:29 PM PST - 27 comments
Want to see the results of all the hateful anti-gay rhetoric?
While other forms of crime continued to fall, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs has documented a 4% increase in anti-LGBT crime in 2004, coming on the heels of a 26% increase in the last half of 2003. This spike in violence parallels the exact same period since the Right went into demonic, anti-gay hyperdrive following the Supreme Court's Lawrence v. Texas decision in July of 2003. Since then, church pews and the public airwaves have been awash in ugly, anti-gay rhetoric and fear-mongering.
"These words obviously do not just vanish into the ether - as intended, they are absorbed and become fuel and justification for violence. To say otherwise defies reality. -- The
Matt Foreman, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (via think-bomb)
And these are just the
reported incidents.
posted by amberglow at 8:20 PM PST - 114 comments
Muppet Diplomacy
- USNews and World Reports has a new must-read article:
"The White House has approved a classified new strategy, dubbed Muslim World Outreach, that for the first time states that the United States has a national security interest in influencing what happens within Islam. Because America is, as one official put it, "radioactive" in the Islamic world, the plan calls for working through third parties--moderate Muslim nations, foundations, and reform groups--to promote shared values of democracy, women's rights, and tolerance." This means surprising US-funded initiatives such as restoring historic Sufi (i.e. moderate, non-Wahhabist) mosques, saving 11th Century Uzbek Korans, and convincing Pakistani madrassah teachers to quietly add science and math to the curriculum. Oh, and it means we're funding secular and independent media, including
"in what boosters are calling Muppet Diplomacy", an Arabic version of
Sesame Street. Can cultural revitalization, increased educational access, nascent democratic movements, and adorable lil' Elmo--all paid for with US tax dollars--be an effective innoculant against the tentacles of Radical Islam?
Daniel Pipes,
The Progressive Muslims' Union, and
Reason magazine weigh in. See also a related
RAND Corporation report from March, 2004.
posted by Asparagirl at 5:42 PM PST - 28 comments
Focus on the family is looking for a Macintosh specialist...
"This position is responsible for overseeing the smooth performance of the Macintosh systems and network, serving the needs of the users, and implementing necessary changes.
Responsibilities:
Is a consistent witness for Jesus Christ; maintains a courteous, Christ-like attitude in dealing with people within and outside of Focus; adheres to the Standard of Moral Conduct and Statement of Faith; upholds Focus on the Family's ministry in prayer. Demonstrates behaviors aligned with FOF core values."
[via Macintouch]
posted by jpburns at 12:56 PM PST - 85 comments
Safeplaces
is an interactive playground. Mushrooms twitch and squeak, trees react and the environment shifts between day and night. It even has its secrets. Further, less adorable work can be found
here.
posted by Alison at 12:26 PM PST - 8 comments
The WEEE Man is a huge 3 ton figure
standing 7 metres high and is composed entirely of WEEE (
Waste
Electronic and
Electrical
Equipment)--from washing machines to mobile phones and electronic toys.
The WEEE Man represents the amount of waste a single person in the UK is likely to produce in a lifetime. Measure your own footprint
here.
posted by fandango_matt at 11:15 AM PST - 13 comments
Have you seen this child?
LATimes article about the Toronto Sex Crimes Unit's search for the
Disney World Girl. The article is haunting, horrifying and fasinating. They are looking for a child who is being actively molested and photographed. It's a disturbing read, but probably SFW. Previous background info discussed here
before.
Also note the odd additional Trekkie factoid
posted by theora55 at 10:16 AM PST - 162 comments
Al Gore calls it like he sees it
-
It is no accident that this assault on the integrity of our constitutional design has been fueled by a small group claiming special knowledge of God's will in American politics. They even claim that those of us who disagree with their point of view are waging war against "people of faith." How dare they?
posted by beth at 10:15 AM PST - 53 comments
"Mr. Reed's policies are not the policies of Washingtonians,
nor should they be the policies of a world-class leader like Microsoft." On the heels of a
controversial decision to take away its support of equal protection statutes for gays, bisexuals and lesbians, Microsoft continues its odd and seemingly inexhorable realignment with fundamentalist Christian moral policy with the payment of $20K per month to former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed. What exactly does this man know about software, again?
posted by AlexReynolds at 8:03 AM PST - 49 comments
The Nexus of Evil
So it seems as though the Chairman of the Colorado College Republicans (
Jay Bob Klinkerman, no really, no kidding, that's his name) seems to be the one responsible for the removal of three Democrats from a Bush Social Security Sideshow.
For some reason, and possibly it was always the case, all roads in this administration frequently lead to back to the same places, with the same names. What do all of the high profile actors in the current GOP have in common? Some sort of activity or affiliation with either the
College Republicans or
Young Republicans.
If you are wondering about the names - how about Karl Rove, Jack Abramoff, Grover Norquist, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist, Lee Atwater, and the central organizer, Morton Blackwell.
College Republicans have been the footsoldiers for the right since the Draft Goldwater campaign, and have been rewarded for their service throughout the Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush#41 and#43 . You can also find their fingerprints all over the various thinktanks, the direct-mail industry, and fundraising. I strongly recommend taking some time to read up on the history of the
College Republicans (PDF).
posted by rzklkng at 7:06 AM PST - 43 comments
Screw
bigfoot. Researchers at Cornell say they have
found the ivory-bill.
[K]nown as an ornithologist's "Holy Grail," [r]esearchers from Cornell University, along with others, reportedly have found the ivory-billed woodpecker in the Big Woods of Arkansas, a rare bird that was last seen in the United States in the 1940s and was believed to have become extinct.
More on the story
here. A digression into the legend
here.
posted by piskycritter at 5:20 AM PST - 34 comments
April 27
Target introduces first new Rx bottles in almost 50 years.
But they might be the only one for some time to do so. I have a couple in my bathroom already and as a designer I have to say they are brilliant example of thoughtful, careful design that can be extremely usable. If you are a design geek, or a wannabe,
this other article is a great read about that explains the design and thought processes, as well as some prototypes, they went through with the NYC School of Visual Arts to get this new design. On page two you can
see the new bottle with a detailed features list. I personally like that it wont roll off a table, better readability, and the color coded rings for each family member. One more way design makes your life easier.
posted by Dome-O-Rama at 9:23 PM PST - 28 comments
Alan Cross is a name that is known in Toronto. He's the guy from 102.1 Edge who has the best rock'n'roll show in the business, called The Ongoing History of New Music. His knowledge is so encyclopedic it's creepy. He's personable. He's interesting. He's current. He's uber-cool. And you can either
podcast his shows or read them yourself. I'm no rock newbie, but I'm currently enjoying
Building A Record Library: Part I.
The History of Selling Out is interesting enough to provoke the question, did REM, Husker Du and Sonic Youth
really do it for the bling bling? Speaking of Husker Du, are they possibly the fathers of
Emo? Do yourself a favour: give him a listen and a read.
note: the site's a bit rough on the browser
posted by ashbury at 8:51 PM PST - 28 comments
Environmental Heresies:
A founder of the Whole Earth Catalog, Stewart Brand, says the environmental movement will soon
reverse its opinions on population growth, urbanization, genetically engineered organisms and nuclear power. Other advocacy for nuclear power is coming
fast and
furious. Meanwhile others aren't questioning contemporary environmentalism's core principles, but they are questioning the
movement's effectiveness , while established leaders
fire back. Is it time to reevaluate environmentalism's core beliefs, or the movement's techniques?
posted by twsf at 8:37 PM PST - 58 comments
What Was True.
From the mid 1950s through the early 1980s,
William Gedney (1932-1989) photographed throughout the
United States, in
India, and in
Europe, and filling
notebook after notebook with his observations. From the commerce of the street outside his Brooklyn apartment to the
daily chores of unemployed
coal miners, from the lifestyle of hippies in
Haight-Ashbury to the sacred rituals of Hindu worshippers, Gedney
was able to record the lives of others with clarity and poignancy.
Gedney's America is a nation of averted eyes, and broken automobiles, and restlessness, a place Edward Hopper would recognize, but so, also, Walt Whitman.
posted by matteo at 4:38 PM PST - 11 comments
Buried Treasure Found In Backyard. (Google cache)
"The men were digging holes to plant trees in a friend's back yard when Crebase hit a wooden crate buried less than a foot below the surface. Inside were seven rusted cylindrical cookie tins, including one where 'National Biscuit Company,' and the word 'Ginger,' were legible through the thick rust. They flipped one of the tops, which was fastened with two hooks, and found it 'jammed' with the money."
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:25 PM PST - 34 comments
Blair government attacks the BBC, while attempting to "fix" the news.
In the aftermath of the
Hutton Report fallout, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott reopened the war of words between Labour and the BBC by accusing the BBC of slanting their news coverage of the war in Iraq. Apparently, an Iraqi friend of Prescott's, Shanaz Ibrahim, was refused a (unscheduled) interview. What Prescott fails to mention, however, is that Ms. Ibrahim has lived in London for over 30 years, and is married to
Abdul-Latif Rashid, the
brother-in-law of
Iraq's president. So... where have all the *real* Iraqis gone, anyway?
posted by insomnia_lj at 1:47 PM PST - 18 comments
Students go 'phishing' for user info.
Indiana University grad students conducted
an e-mail experiment showing the ease of login, username theft. The "hack" outraged some, but raised questions about privacy and the public sphere. A
blog was created specifically to provide a forum for students involved in the study. The site lists
comments -- some grateful that they have learned about phishing, but most are furious.
posted by ericb at 11:57 AM PST - 13 comments
Nokia's iPod killer.
Nokia today introduced their new N-series multimedia-centric phones (dropping the 4-digit model numbers they've been using for ever). The
N91 in particular looks like it's shooting straight for the iPod crown: 4GB hard drive, 3G, global GSM, WiFi b/g, Bluetooth, USB mass storage, FM radio and a claimed 12.5 hrs of battery time. The
N90 isn't too shabby either.
posted by costas at 10:12 AM PST - 87 comments
The Skeldale Boys.
Like the works of
James Herriot? Would you like them better if some failed english major wrote the stories in the third person omniscent and filled them with homosexual longing? Me neither, but it's still interesting to know it exists and ask "why?".
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:52 AM PST - 10 comments
The Darth Side: Memoirs of a Monster.
Vader blogs from under the helmet. Best read out loud in a tinny James Earl Jones voice with mechanized breathing. First post is
here. (Historian's note: the blog starts shortly before
Empire Strikes Back, and his current entry is written during the storming of Hoth.)
posted by brownpau at 8:26 AM PST - 23 comments
Who here hasn't been a bit short before payday?
Jacob Ayrton of Calgary took out a payday loan of $500. Two weeks later he owed Payroll Loan Canada $
606.32 (a $95 "brokerage fee" and 59% interest for a whopping 15,000% per annum charge.) Yesterday, an Alberta judge certified a class-action suit against so-called payday lenders with Mr. Ayrton as lead complainant. "These companies really exploit people who are vulnerable,"
said his lawyer. A fast-growing franchise opportunity for investors, payday loan operations are facing increased scrutiny in
Canada and the U.S. (
NC,
NV,
IL.)
posted by docgonzo at 7:54 AM PST - 43 comments
Remedial economics for the WSJ editorial board
An April 26 Wall Street Journal editorial argued that "the overall tax burden grew more progressive" in the last 25 years because upper income taxpayers pay a larger share of total taxes than they did in 1979. But the Journal failed to explain why upper income taxpayers pay a larger share today: The wealthiest Americans earn a much larger share of total income than they did in 1979.
[see, too: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_04/006194.php]
posted by Postroad at 4:33 AM PST - 106 comments
Diagram
"we're interested in representations. In naming. In indicating. In schematics. In the labelling and taxonomy of things. In poems that masquerade as stories; in stories that disguise themselves as indices or obituaries." (
via)
posted by dhruva at 2:56 AM PST - 5 comments
This is good
From
RLG, an international not-for-profit organization of libraries, museums, and other research institutions, comes this incredibly useful research tool. Start with as vague a query as you like, it'll provide an ordered list of search limiters to help you zero in on the resources you need in a far more organic and rapid fashion than similar tools I've seen. An invaluable resource for students, librarians, and the curious.
posted by Grod at 1:09 AM PST - 10 comments
DailyWTF
is a "Programming Bloopers" repository and forum, collecting, dissecting and making good fun of badly written code. Programmers can appreciate their fellow coders'
strange or
plainly funny problem solving techniques. Sometimes programmers will
square the wheel while reinventing it. Or take the
best practices to the insanity level.
Some programming knowledge required.
posted by nkyad at 1:08 AM PST - 21 comments
April 26
I clicked this link today
while perusing
this MSNBC blog (which is occasionally amusing). It seems that ArticleBot's hackles have been raised, and they are on the defensive against
mainstream media (aka
MSM). I'm not exactly sure what their point is, but I really hate it when people "overuse" the "quotation" marks in their "unique content". I would have totally left it alone if they had not called attention to themselves by responding in this manner. Plus the assistance they are offering reminds me a little of
these MIT geniuses (previously discussed on MeFi
here and
here) except designed to spider search engines. I'm sure it's completely legal, but the ethics are questionable to say the least.
posted by shoppingforsanity at 11:35 PM PST - 89 comments
L I V E W R O N G : is right.
The purveyors, or perpetrators, of LIVEWRONG suggest you represent what you want, when you want, how you want. Buy a bracelet. It is what it is. The creators of the LIVEWRONG armband do not oppose any person, pet, or living thing that have cancer, nor do we oppose any charity that supports a cure for cancer.
posted by RockyChrysler at 9:08 PM PST - 47 comments
Rules For the Library
- Satirical relief for those who suffer or have suffered under an oppressive, Orwellian library atmosphere:
1) There will be absolutely no reading of any kind in the library.
...
2) No breathing in the library.
...
3) No walking or moving in the library.
...
posted by nervestaple at 7:28 PM PST - 69 comments
Serenity
The trailer online. This makes me soooo happy. I've been watching and re-watching the DVD set far too many times to be healthy.
posted by rexruff at 2:02 PM PST - 130 comments
The
Medium is the
Massage [mp3s].
Marshall McLuhan, the Canadian Professor of English Literature who coined phrases such as "the medium is the message" and
global village in the 1960s, and who talked about coming
global connectivity, saw media such as the printing-press and television as changing not only the information we received, but the ways in which we understand information and the world. His publishing style often involved the collection and juxtaposition of quotations and observations in a ways that were fast and cut-up, including
collage and typographic experiment, and a
sound collage lp released in 1967 which sounds as if it was recorded today.
posted by carter at 8:13 AM PST - 13 comments
Lakota Winter Counts.
Lakota and other plains tribes counted time by winters. An appointed recorder would choose one major event to mark the year, depicting that event by
name and symbol. Early records dating back to the 10th century were often painted on
buffalo skins; more recent winter counts were recorded as
text journals. These fascinating records offer insight into natural and historic events for our land that precede accounts of European settlers. - more -
posted by madamjujujive at 7:47 AM PST - 12 comments
An insightful piece of poetry criticism
by Adam Kirsch encapsulates the work of Charles Bukowski, popular poet with
MeFi's and others. Camile Paglia has a go at poetry crit in her latest,
Break, Blow, Burn.
I read the Kirsch piece because I have a passing familiarity with Bukowski, and if I saw someone reading a volume, I'd have some snap insight into what their interests may be. Though I often judge a reader by their book's cover, I could do this with very few poetry books, and I can't remember seeing anyone with a poetry book, or telling me about a poetry book in a long time. While
some of us read for pleasure, we probably aren't reading poetry. The
slam poetry movement of a few years ago seems to have lost its media fire. The
death of poetry is periodically announced, and
others disagree.
My casual observation is that many poetry lovers actually write poetry, and are not students of the genre. Poems are short, it's easy to call something a poem, and it may make the writer feel better to write one out. Rarely are they good, and rarer still will they find an audience outside of
web communities of other poetry writers. Can vigorous and accessible poetry criticism revive poetry readership? Does anyone who does not write poems read poetry, especially unfamiliar poetry? Will anyone cop to writing it but not reading it? And should we care?
posted by rainbaby at 7:40 AM PST - 39 comments
Looks like MSN upped their search count results for items that return more than about 2million hits, a lot of entries have grown more than 500%
in the last few days. unfortunately this site (which graphs the number of results in the engines at any time for different search phrases) was down the last couple of days. Sounds like MSN are inflating their results, why this happened is yet unclear
posted by leighm at 6:27 AM PST - 11 comments
MyGastricBypass.com
"This doctor feels that I have 25 to 30 lbs of excess flesh to come off. All the dieting the world won't remove that, so now I have some major decisions to make....Never did I think that this would be happening to me....Granted, it's better than weighing 500 lbs, but it's pretty nasty looking....The frightening thing is what happens to this skin when I get in the pool. OMG! It floats!!" - A long and actually heroic saga of self-disclosure, somehow Zen too, of one woman's successful attempt to remake her body and so her life - this rises at times to sublime heights :
"I believe in a force called the Cosmic Shoe....Moorings are loosened and our boat feels adrift. When that doesn't get us moving, the Cosmic Shoe finally KICKS our ass into the direction he was trying to nudge us in the first place."
posted by troutfishing at 6:26 AM PST - 96 comments
Got Conscience?
His company did $22 million in business last year, moving American manufacturing plants offshore. "It's not right," Hosea says. "But if I don't do it, someone else is gonna do it." Interesting, if its true, is that he tells his potential clients that what theyre about to do is wrong.
posted by tizzie at 5:26 AM PST - 21 comments
April 25
My Vasectomy, in pictures and word. It may be old, and the design difficult to look at, and there's some bad jokes and advertising, but interesting nonetheless. And
topical. Need I mention, NSFW?
posted by ashbury at 8:49 PM PST - 11 comments
![[+]](http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/songbirds-enlarged.jpg){kind=link}
