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February 2002 Archives
February 28
"It's really like rape"
say lawyers for a college student who sued Arco Media (makers of "Wild Party Girls Video") and won 5 million dollars. From what I was able to find, alcohol was not forced down her throat (she used intoxication as part of her defense) so I am having a difficult time seeing where the "rape" part comes in.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 11:14 PM PST - 53 comments
Another decade, another network jump for Letterman?
Dave is very seriously considering an offer from ABC for its 11:35 slot, for reasons not unlike the ones he gave for jumping to CBS from NBC in the first place: little network support. More distressingly, the article strongly implies that
Nightline is doomed in its present form regardless of whether Dave decides to join ABC or stay at CBS.
posted by aaron at 7:55 PM PST - 37 comments
I dunno, if you're like me you're probably discontented with the state of lamp art nowadays. Too slick, too soulless, all that
perspective and
shading and whatnot. Am I right? So you'd probably
like to see some poorly drawn lamps. Well...
here.
Part of Shoebox World; via Librarian Avengers. The web is a weird place.
posted by rodii at 7:09 PM PST - 11 comments
The US may have killed 15,000 of it's own with nuclear tests.
Somewhere around 100,000 people died as a result of the bombs dropped by the US over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A new study shows that back home in the heart of the U.S., fallout from Cold-War nuclear tests may have killed as many as 15,000 people. This would be front page news everywhere if it had happened all at once - but since it took years for these people to die - it will barely be a blip in the history books.
posted by stevengarrity at 6:04 PM PST - 8 comments
The Hendrix of The Accordion,
the Stevie Ray of the banjo,and even
Tubas are producing some rockin' stuff. I see something of a small trend here an I think it's a good one. These artists take the insturments you hated to be stuck with in the high school band and turn them into something astounding. If anyone knows of other examples, I'd love to hear about 'em.
(some sites require Flash)
posted by jonmc at 5:41 PM PST - 17 comments
F1 2002
is go! The Formula 1 circus hit the track a couple of minutes back and officially kicked off the 2002 season.
posted by riffola at 4:46 PM PST - 14 comments
Remember Schwa?
You know, the enigmatic graphic design project featuring that smiley-face of the nineties: the almond-eyed alien head? Bill Barker's sinister alien art project used to reside at www.theschwacorporation.com, but I'm not making that URL into a link for a very good reason: it's now a porn site devoted to wife-swapping. What happened?
posted by Zettai at 4:12 PM PST - 13 comments
Public shaming is in order.
It's bad enough to rip off a design. But this person ripped off BABY PICTURES from
Hoopla without credit, along with layouts, bits of text, and who-knows-what-else. Also compare:
Leslie's status,
Enurv's status. The "personal" part of personal publishing means you do it yourself. Argh.
posted by lucius at 3:19 PM PST - 41 comments
IBM gives Moore's Law a punch in the face
by developing a 110GHz silicon germanium microchip. Only for use in ultra hi-tech environments right now (network infrastructure, military, etc.), of course. What other things could these processors be useful for? Finding vaccines? Genome mapping? SETI? And how many years before they're mass-producible and inexpensive enough for consumer use?
posted by andnbsp at 1:55 PM PST - 11 comments
Morpheus is broken.
The Netherlands-based provider of the technology used by Kazaa and Grokster upgrades their system, but leaves out Streamcast Networks' (formerly Music City) Morpheus network, and suddenly, everyone is locked out. Kinda punches a giant hole in their EFF-backed battle with the RIAA, which hinges on the assertion that their network is 'decentralized' and impossible to stop.
posted by pzarquon at 1:44 PM PST - 12 comments
MNF: Miller out, Madden in?
After two years of sinking ratings, is ABC and Monday Night Football ready to concede that Dennis Miller was not really good pick for a football commentator? Fox has released John Madden from his contract, making an Al Michaels-Madden booth a likelihood next fall.
posted by mattpusateri at 9:35 AM PST - 40 comments
It's easy to think of lawyers as greedy, overpaid blood-sucking pigs. But do we have any clue
what lawyers earn? Yes we do, thanks to American Lawyer Media's (via law.com) annual roundup of lawyer compensation. Not all of which is surprising. For example, partners at the top corporate firms like Wachtell Lipton, or Cravath, Swaine & Moore or Davis Polk each averaged millions in 2001 ($3,285,000, $2,245,000 and $1,740,000, respectively). Even piddly little first year associates at those firms got $125,000 to start. (We're talking 24-year-old law school grads with precisely zero professional experience and know-how. Zero.) But most newbie lawyers don't win those jobs. Also difficult to land are entry-level positions at district attorneys' offices, but they're not nearly as lucrative. A junior Manhattan D.A. earned $45,000 last year (up from $42,000 in 2000). But locking up criminals beats toiling for civil rights at a not-for-profit like the New York Civil Liberties Union, which paid entry-level lawyers only $35,000 last year. Over all, best off are lawyers who work for big companies. Top counsel at IBM last year earned a measly $506,000 in cash (salary & bonus), but throw in stocks & options and his compensation totaled $7,795,613. Compared to that, you have to worry about the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court whose family in 2001 had to struggle along on $192,600.
posted by jellybuzz at 9:25 AM PST - 36 comments
Sigh.
In case all this talk of foreign crazies was stealing the spotlight from our homegrown malcontents.
posted by donkeyschlong at 7:10 AM PST - 9 comments
Shoplifters Of The World, Unite And Take Over!
An interesting NYT article(
reg.req.)says stealing from restaurants is increasing. But it's still only 3% of tableware costs and allegedly doesn't contribute to higher prices. I confess I often lift the odd item from hotel rooms. Not just as "souvenirs" - that would be hypocritical. As
booty. So, what ethical constraints and liberties do MetaFilterians think should be taken into consideration when stealing? Does it matter whom you're stealing from and how much money you've previously spent on them? And, for the more immoral fellow members, what are the best strategies for liberating certain objects?
posted by MiguelCardoso at 7:06 AM PST - 259 comments
February 27
Did you hear Michael Greene's speech at the Grammys?
At first it seemed like it was going to be just yet another recording industry weasel with an obligatory goatee congratulating himself on stage. But it quickly turned into a lesson on the harms of the illegal Internet downloads. "This illegal file-sharing and ripping of music files is pervasive, out of control and oh so criminal. Many of the nominees here tonight, especially the new, less-established artists, are in immediate danger of being marginalized out of our business. Ripping is stealing their livelihood one digital file at a time, leaving their musical dreams haplessly snared in this World Wide Web of theft and indifference," says Greene. Was this appeal-cum-address effective or appropriate? Were you more sympathetic to the RIAA or artists afterwards?
posted by emptyage at 11:49 PM PST - 78 comments
Not Just a Birthmark.
"I was chemically altered at embryonic stages of my life by conglomerate CEOs to display their logo on my forehead. This I am sure of. My parents remain unaware. My life remains affected each and every day. Those viewing my face think only of Nike shoes, even if they fail to recognize it. Who knows when this madness will end, or how far its fingers have reached." (found at
Sound the Sirens)
posted by lostbyanecho at 10:58 PM PST - 4 comments
Creative storytelling at
Flight404.com. Visited this link a long time ago from the forever-in-hiatus
K10K when it was a white splace page with a vector drawing of a plane, now it's a great online story.
posted by hobbes at 10:45 PM PST - 12 comments
"A federal judge on Wednesday
ordered the Energy Department to release thousands of records on Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force, criticizing the government for moving at 'a glacial pace.' "
Is anyone else interested in this? This is honestly the first time since Bush took office that I've felt optomistic about much.
Anyone old enough to remember the look on Nixon's face as he stepped on to Marine One for the last time, when he turned to give the victory sign? The Vice President surely remembers, I wonder if he's thought of it lately?
posted by jack-o at 8:15 PM PST - 32 comments
Coleman Confidential.
No joke. Gary Coleman was just in my office a little bit ago and while he was here, he talked about this section of a site he promotes where he answers email. But some of the answers (let alone the questions) are ridiculous! I don't know what's funnier, him in person or the answers to these questions. Good reading when you've got little to do.
posted by whoshotwho at 4:49 PM PST - 10 comments
I'ma write a little letter, gonna mail it to my local DJ...
Don't bother they're writing their own. Books, rather, but writing just the same. If, like me, you can remember when the radio was a magic box full of surprises rather than boredom, you'll want to read IndyWeek's reveiws of these two books by disc jockey's:college and pirate radio stalwart Jesse Walker and Richard Neer of the legendary WNEW-FM in NYC, the station that ignited my love affair with rock and roll(I still harbor pipedreams of hosting a show with Scott Muni.) These tomes may be partially exercises in nostalgia, but they may also hold clues on how to recapture what radio once was.
posted by jonmc at 3:57 PM PST - 10 comments
Fetapets:
for busy city dwellers who can't deal with the hassle of living pets. No it isn't a joke.
posted by akmonday at 3:37 PM PST - 21 comments
Amy Fisher vs. Tonya Harding
The good people at FOX have put together another award winning special. 3 boxing matches featuring Danny Bonaduce vs. Greg Williams (Brady), Tonya vs. Amy and a third bout to be named later. Isn't this a sign of the apocolypse??
posted by Lanternjmk at 12:17 PM PST - 41 comments
Seven minutes to midnight.
"Today, the Board of Directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moves the minute hand of the 'Doomsday Clock,' the symbol of nuclear danger, from nine to seven minutes to midnight, the same setting at which the clock debuted 55 years ago. Since the end of the Cold War in 1991, this is the third time the hand has moved forward."
posted by dnash at 11:11 AM PST - 29 comments
Capitalism, punk as fuck
"Imagine this: you're 23, working in a grocery store for minimum wage and saving to start your own indie record shop. You finally get enough to open it and, though sales are slow, you have a dedicated customer base and loyal friends to work the store when you can't."
posted by Mick at 7:44 AM PST - 85 comments
Was John Wayne A ... Welshman?
In that case, I nominate
Johnny Cash as the No.1 American icon. Unless it turns out he's English or something.
[
Inspired by jpoulos's, Kafkaesque's, Optamystic's and others' recent celebrations - elsewhere on MetaFilter - of the great man.]
posted by MiguelCardoso at 5:09 AM PST - 15 comments
3dHTML. No Flash, no nothing. Wow.
posted by Su at 5:03 AM PST - 8 comments
New owners purchase the San Jose Sharks
George Gund III sold a majority share of the team to a group including Stratton Sclavos [Verisign], Tom McEnery [former mayor], Kevin Compton [Kleiner Perkins], Greg Reyes [Brocade], Gary Valenzuela [past Yahoo CFO], and Harvey Armstrong [MyCFO].
My only question... where is Scott McNealy?
posted by swenson at 2:47 AM PST - 2 comments
February 26
School Fascism at all-time high?
Okay, forget the various and sundry
suspensions for alcohol, fighting, or bringing anything even vaguely pointy to school. This guy took innocent pictures of girls in his school
with their knowledge using his own camera, and posted them to his own web site. Are we a little overboard here?
posted by umberto at 8:45 PM PST - 24 comments
Design For Chunks
"puking in dull bags can no longer be accepted, imagine your delight when you discover the receptacle you are about to puke into is of the highest pedigree."
A gallery of sick bags, for designers, by designers.
posted by zeoslap at 5:05 PM PST - 9 comments
"The fraud, the huckster, the salesman are not new phenomena in America; what is new is that they now so strongly control every estate of our society."
For the last few days, I've been reading the
Progressive Review's
Undernews, a sort of progressive news blog-by-e-mail -- and frankly, it's amazing.
One of today's articles blew my mind: it's a spot-on encapsulation of What's Wrong with America Today. (Scroll down to "Derivative America and the Enron Generation." This link is to the "Latest Issue" page. Tomorrow I think it will be archived
here.) Seriously, read it now. It's worth it.
posted by tweebiscuit at 3:00 PM PST - 36 comments
Genome liberation.
"Life science researchers -- even those who work in academic settings -- are finding that corporations are just as eager to patent the tools as they are the data, and in many cases, universities are bending over backward to let the private sector have its way. As a result, a growing number of bioinformatics researchers are beginning to look to the free-software and open-source software movements for inspiration in their quest for bio freedom."
posted by homunculus at 1:40 PM PST - 2 comments
How Americans view us...
You don't really ... do you? "They responded very readily to Britain and the British: 'Tea... proper... trousers... Monty Python... Jane Eyre... Austin Powers... soccer hooligans... Prince William... dry and witty... educated... not huggy...' "
posted by feelinglistless at 12:58 PM PST - 61 comments
The Tech Museums Awards
have announced
a call for entries for their 2002 event. $50,000 will be awarded to five winners in a competition "designed to recognize people, companies or organizations which develop or use technology in creative ways to solve global challenges and have a high potential of yielding lasting, beneficial impact. The awards honor innovators from around the world in the categories of health, education, environment, economic development and equality." Just imagine: technology benefitting humanity, and getting financial support for it.
2001 winners here.
posted by mathowie at 12:26 PM PST - 6 comments
Wayward Cow Caught!
The fugitive cow, earning clemency after escaping from Ohio slaughterhouse, was captured not far from the scene of the escape. The cow will now spend his days on the farm of former Cincinatti Reds owner, Marge Schott.
posted by Lanternjmk at 12:00 PM PST - 26 comments
Muslim states hate us because their culture is backwards and corrupt,
according to a Wall Street Journal editorial. The writer, tired of America-bashing, explores the inferiority complex of the Arab world: "Like Third World Marxists of the 1960s, who put blame for their own self-inflicted misery upon corporations, colonialism and racism--anything other than the absence of real markets and a free society--the Islamic intelligentsia recognizes the Muslim world's inferiority vis-à-vis the West, but it then seeks to fault others for its own self-created fiasco. Government spokesmen in the Middle East should ignore the nonsense of the cultural relativists and discredited Marxists and have the courage to say that they are poor because their populations are nearly half illiterate, that their governments are not free, that their economies are not open, and that their fundamentalists impede scientific inquiry, unpopular expression and cultural exchange."
via kuro5hin
posted by swift at 9:44 AM PST - 36 comments
The best solution I've heard so far
to end the mess in Israel. A Saudi Prince suggests plan that trades occupied land in return for the Arab world recognizing the Israeli state. Is it a viable plan? Will Barak have the courage to give it a shot? Could the Arab nations ever recognize a Jewish state? Could Palestine and Israel coexist peacefully next to each other?
posted by aacheson at 9:30 AM PST - 28 comments
Rotating Ski Slope.
This seems a little far fetched, if not dangerous. Skiers travel down the side of the revolving slope at the same time as it moves upwards. The result is that the ski run is effectively much further than the actual 300-metre length of the incline. It is in Wales though - which will be nice.
posted by Spoon at 8:57 AM PST - 12 comments
NY Times on female cruelty (subscription req'd)
This is an insightful examination of cruelty by girls struggling for power in complex Middle School social hierarchies. Many points made about "girls" here also apply to young adult women -- at least the ones I know. In our tabloidized, materialistic culture, might adult women abandon such behavior someday?
Link posted by Voyageman on a discussion page yesterday. Thank you Voyageman.
posted by mcgraw at 8:55 AM PST - 10 comments
102 Beats.
For its third anniversary,
Freaky Trigger is trying out a neat project: You write exactly 102 words about a bit of music. Then someone else will do the same. More inside.
posted by Skot at 8:49 AM PST - 7 comments
Can't remember your phone number?
At the phonespell.org website you can get a list of all the possible word combinations made by your phone number. If you have 1's and 0's in your number, the possibilities are fewer.
posted by altojen at 6:46 AM PST - 34 comments
The Elephant's Memory
is a beautiful logographic language oriented towards children. In late 1999, the creator wrote an
article for Apple's Learning Technology Review[the
PDF version is better illustrated] that goes into much more detail than the original site, which appears not to have been updated since 1996. A CD-ROM was in production, with a pre-release
reviewed by Intellect Books, but I can't find any info on whether it was finished or is still available.
posted by Su at 2:50 AM PST - 5 comments
February 25
Personal Testimony of an Israeli Refusenik
"Asaf Oron, a Sergeant Major in the Giv'ati Brigade, is one of the original 53 Israeli soldiers who signed the 'Fighters' Letter' declaring that from now on they will refuse to serve in the Occupied territories. He is signer #8 and one of the first in the list to include a statement explaining his action."
Our parents' generation lets out a sigh: we've embarrassed them yet again. But isn't it all your fault? What did you raise us on? Universal ethics and universal justice, on the one hand, peace, liberty and equality to all. And on the other hand: "the Arabs want to throw us into the sea," "They are all crafty and primitive. You can't trust them."...I was raised on two value systems: one was the ethical code and the other the tribal code, and I naively believed that the two could coexist.
posted by mapalm at 10:05 PM PST - 11 comments
Enron Fraud dot Com.
The law firm of Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach cordially invites Enron stockholders to partake in their class action lawsuit against the fallen energy baron. Great domain, great layout, great case. How could they lose?
posted by tankboy at 9:50 PM PST - 6 comments
The
NIH is
abandoning phase III trials of a possible hiv vaccine due to "technical reasons" the trial will continue in thailand. On a happier note there are currently more than 90 other hiv vaccines in other stages of trials. What do people think are the chances the pharmaceuticals will decide chronic disease management is more profitable, and actually do something to make this a more likely outcome?
posted by rhyax at 6:51 PM PST - 21 comments
We're exporting toxic technologies
to third world countries. We all know computer components contain lots of chemical badness, and it seems that as much as 80 percent of US electronics trash is sent to developing countries, where it is becoming a major health hazard.
posted by brookish at 6:21 PM PST - 22 comments
Film noir, Monica Lewinsky style.
As of January 22, 2001, Lewinsky was free to talk about the events that led to her immunity agreement with Ken Starr.
HBO signed her up for some audience Q & A, and has taken this opportunity to push the envelope by filming it in black and white. It's set to premiere on March 3. Slightly more
here. Really though, what's the point? Let's just put her in a zoo and let the patrons throw her peanuts.
posted by mikhail at 5:26 PM PST - 46 comments
Gee, this a good idea
(NYT reg req) - The New York Times discusses the growing popularity of .zip whole album downloads on Audiogalaxy. The article is also kind enough to include a step-by-step how-to for idiots like me who want free music but haven't thought of this before. Thanks!
posted by dydecker at 5:23 PM PST - 37 comments
Drug War roundup. The US will end
drug-related sanctions against Afghanistan and Haiti. Neither country stopped producing drugs, they need loans sanctions stop them from receiving. A British journalist compares the
drug policies of Holland to Britain. Noteworthy: despite heroin being half the price, there are 25% fewer Dutch addicts. The FARC and Columbia are openly warring again. So far, only
civilians have been killed. The California Medical Association voted to lobby the state government to
raise the smoking age from 18 to 21.
posted by raaka at 2:30 PM PST - 22 comments
John Dewey and the Alexander Technique.
Anyone with an interest in either the philosophy of John Dewey or the Alexander Technique will find this interesting. Dewey was a devoted student of the Alexander Technique and acknowledged its influence on some of his ideas. This site includes Dewey's writings on the Alexander Technique and other articles about their relationship.
posted by homunculus at 1:07 PM PST - 8 comments
When Skyscrapers and Cities Become One.
Tsui has designed the
Ultima Tower (a two-mile high, one-mile wide building), and Takenaka the
Sky City 1000, in the name of conservation and ecology. William Pedersen, designer of the
World Financial Center in Shanghai, believes that "cities within a single building . . . are definitely going to come to pass within the next 25 or 30 years." These sky cities will have "vast open-air wooded parks, giant waterfalls, and automoble-free neighborhoods."
posted by jacknose at 12:37 PM PST - 58 comments
Pay for CNN.com?
CNN International President sees subscription fees for online news services likely in the near future.
If CNN, MSNBC or any of the major sites start this trend, the Drudge Report may be everyones destination!
posted by Lanternjmk at 11:33 AM PST - 19 comments
The US reserves the right to turn your weak country to glass.
The Bush administration is no longer standing by a 24-year-old U.S. pledge not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states, a senior administration official said yesterday.
I fear this news will go unnoticed amidst the terrorism furor.
Why
doesn't our nuclear policy get much press these days?
posted by norm at 11:12 AM PST - 63 comments
make sure she really means "yes"...
consent condoms are an interesting twist on using condoms in a causal sex environment. the man hands a package to his partner containing a condom and a card which takes her fingerprints and lets her tear off the date for which the condom is to be used. one's to wonder if all casual sex will be conducted like this in the future.
posted by boogah at 10:11 AM PST - 33 comments
Hey, it's beautiful here in San Dieg . . . I mean, Boise
Also, "this morning," which is actually several weeks from now. You prolly know that many DJs aren't local now. But it's this bad? Clear Channel radio chief to the WSJ: "I dont think its at all wrong or deceptive to put together terrific programs that reflect local communities and sometimes use talent who may physically be somewhere else."
posted by raysmj at 8:56 AM PST - 11 comments
Barclay employees lose job after 44000 pound dinner
Mind you: they paid for the meal out of their own pockets.
They were fired because of their decadence (while the City was suffering a slow period) and their behaviour when the details of the meal became public. (The story started in July last year, but I couldn't find anything about it in the archive).
Next time you order a bottle of '47 Petrus, make sure your boss is not looking.
posted by swordfishtrombones at 7:53 AM PST - 16 comments
Need a great prank?
Whether it is for your
office, your
sig O or if you just want to be
evil in general, this website is for you. The
site has everything from bad pickup lines to strange laws to personality quizzes... My personal favorite to date, in the article section is the
Free Baby ad. Just a little something to give you a giggle on a Monday. Enjoy!
posted by gloege at 6:34 AM PST - 22 comments
Erotigo's
got the goods for your sexy mobile lifestyle. Now: Which of you's got a subscription? We want
details!
posted by Su at 2:29 AM PST - 10 comments
February 24
Welcome to the 2002 FIFA Worldcup, er, make that WorldCup, um...
"The efforts being made by organizations of all kinds to ensure that a positive image of [Korea] is projected this summer deserve the highest praise. It is a crying shame, however, that so many of these efforts will be undermined by the comedic quality of much of the English being used."
Not intended as a poke at Korea, but an interesting example of how hard it is for people (or a people) to change their mindset (more inside).
posted by Bixby23 at 11:49 PM PST - 13 comments
Sporting News Predicts the Future.
It's 9:30 pm EST and the closing ceremonies have been on for 1 hour, but the Sporting News has provided us with a complete recap of the night, including Rogges final words to Salt Lake City. They must have hired Ms. Cleo recently.
posted by smcniven at 6:30 PM PST - 6 comments
During my day's aimless surfing I was feeling a mite wistful, and it did my heart a load of good to stumble on the internet home of
Funny Face mugs. I also found the
Mr. Men and Little Miss Club. Both of these bits of pop culture were objects of devotion to me as a tyke. Looking at the sweet simplicity of the products today, it amazes me how easy it was to invest plastic mugs and simple line drawings with meaning and personality. I wish there was a place for them in today's
Kiddie Kulture which seems to be about filling in all the blanks before the kids get to use there imaginations.
posted by jonmc at 4:25 PM PST - 7 comments
ULTRa set for take off in Cardiff!
Urban Light Transport is finally here, and trials are under way in Cardiff, Wales for these four passenger driverless cars. It is estimated that the cost of implementation ($60m) will be 1/3 to 1/2 of that of a comparable light rail system.
posted by Why at 3:51 PM PST - 10 comments
Joe Queenan apologizes
for being "an irredeemably horrible human being." Unfortunately, he doesn't apologize for the annoying pop-ups and banners on his Geocities website, but I do.
posted by MrBaliHai at 2:40 PM PST - 14 comments
Will this spoil the party in Canada ?
(NYT reg req) Great victories by the
men and the
women. Sure. But then one is reminded again in the NYT today about last week's controversy - "The judge, Marie Reine Le Gougne, said the pressure she felt was unlike any in her 14 years of judging, that it intensified as the Olympics drew near and that it came from one country,
Canada" You cant help but wonder.
posted by Voyageman at 2:35 PM PST - 26 comments
Democracy is expensive.
A New York
Times article examines the high costs of building the government infrastructure of a democracy, and suggests that they may be too high for a poor or war-torn country. I hope there's an alternative to "Live free or die".
posted by mattpfeff at 9:31 AM PST - 7 comments
easyJet
has introduced a £0 price as the standard lead-in fare for the majority of flights between Belfast International, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Any chance of a trans-atlantic service too...?
posted by scotty at 8:00 AM PST - 8 comments
The Sunday Funday Blues:
This is supposed to be on of the worst Nintendo games ever. Heh. No wonder. Yet it seems appropriate. As does Storman' Norman's
Sunday Blues radio programme. What
is it about Sundays anyway? And what's the best way to survive them? What are the local traditions? Here in Portugal, it's the Sunday papers; not going to Church; feeling guilty; drinking too many Bloody Marys; late, enormous lunches; lazy love-making, listening to football on the radio and naps...
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:22 AM PST - 27 comments
slurdb
an interesting look into an often overlooked and ignored lexicon - even if it is an ugly one. jtx from
hatesville is building a reference to the language of hate, but he needs your help.
posted by boogah at 12:36 AM PST - 6 comments
February 23
Washington States insatiable appetite for money
has led to the highest state tax on cigarettes, $1.425 per pack; this is in addition to the federal tax of $.39 per pack and the State sales tax of 6.5%. At least 17 states are considering following suit. Proponets claim it's a win-win situation: tax revenue + 'helping' people quit. Is that believable? Do they want the money or do they want people to quit, or both? And is it fair for 25% of the population to be the sole source of needed revenue?
posted by Mack Twain at 11:18 PM PST - 52 comments
The United States Olympic Committee
invites you to help them decide the recipients of the
U.S. Olympic Spirit Award. I don't think you have to be an american to participate. Nominations close tomorrow evening, as do the 2002 Winter Olympics themselves. The award is supposed to represent
commitment, courage, perseverence and vision. The nominations may be more of a popularity contest, but the U.S. Olympic Committee itself makes the final determination. Previous recipients include Carl Lewis and Scott Hamilton.
posted by ZachsMind at 9:27 PM PST - 15 comments
How to hack grey matter
A big security loophole with grey matter powered sites is out there. It lets anyone have the username and password to these sites. Luckly there is a fix for it which can be found
here.
posted by thebwit at 6:17 PM PST - 20 comments
"The PRAVDA Forum" in English.
Vlad Putin's homeboys serve up
Colombian FARC manifestos, and grin- "Let's roll!" They invite you to mix it up with black blockers, American
hawks, meglomaniac spymaster wannabes, Osama fans, Nazis and ethnic cleansers, irate Israelis, Pakstanis, Indians, hardcore feminists, peaceniks, dolphinsavers, conspiracy theorists, and the
Chinese. Free speech in wartime, Russian Communist style. (Warning: Offensive content guaranteed.)
posted by sheauga at 4:09 PM PST - 8 comments
Steve McCurry
has spent his life looking for beauty in warzones. This flash site pulls together some of his most vivid images, including the iconic image of a young girl from Afganistan. But his work hasn't been without a few dangers: "I've had a couple of close calls in my career, but part of my brain that's concerned with self-preservation is very large. I was almost drowned in India and I was in an airplane crash in Yugoslavia, where I found myself about 10 feet underwater. Miraculously, I was able to swim out from underneath the seatbelt. But I came within a fraction of an inch of not making it. I'd rather take the risk and have the adventure, than to be timid and not take those risks ... It's the best life."
posted by feelinglistless at 3:44 PM PST - 6 comments
Tie yourself to a half-constructed house on a school campus and live there in solitary confinement while on semi-public display to the world, pissing into a jug and making conch-shell noises from a piece of cardboard and a bullhorn.
And do it all in a lobster suit. If that's not performance art, then what is? (Link from a blogger-friend who got it off
NextDraft.)
posted by brownpau at 8:20 AM PST - 12 comments
Reparations activists
are going after corporations who may have had ties to or profited from the slave trade to seek financial compensation. "So far, the reparations legal team has publicly identified five companies it says have slave ties: insurers Aetna, New York Life and AIG and financial giants J.P. Morgan Chase Manhattan Bank and FleetBoston Financial Group." Of course, the article (or
the sidebar) doesn't cite anyone who may be
against the whole notion - which is possibly bias of
some sort, and seeing Johnnie Cochran
on the list of people involved doesn't exactly warm one's heart either. (
here are several other related "background" articles)
posted by owillis at 1:01 AM PST - 42 comments
February 22
Survivor III Finale Flawed.
If there's any doubt still that this show is a complete waste of time, check out this "news" tidbit that CBS is doing a good job of squashing. Turns out the ending was flawed; the other finalists have now been paid handsomely to behave.
posted by Fofer at 11:14 PM PST - 13 comments
Enron's historical precidents.
This L.A. Times article discusses the historical precidents to the Enron debacle. My favorite (among lots of good stuff):
"Like Enron, ITT was a big campaign contributor. But Geneen's idea of how to use political influence made Lay and associates look like choir boys. In 1970, the company offered Republicans $1 million and consulted heavily with the Nixon White House and the CIA when Chile's new socialist president, Salvador Allende, threatened to seize the ITT-owned Chilean Telephone Co. Allende was overthrown with U.S. aid."
posted by electro at 10:58 PM PST - 9 comments
Daniel Pearl's widow speaks out.
"Revenge would be easy, but it is far more valuable in my opinion to address this problem of terrorism with enough honesty to question our own responsibility as nations and as individuals for the rise of terrorism." (via the indispensable
rc3.org)
posted by jjg at 10:12 PM PST - 12 comments
What's down, Doc?
Animation genius Chuck Jones has died of conjestive heart failure.
Has any other creative-type-person brought more joy and laughter to the last three-or-four generations?
At least
his website had already started paying tribute to him while he could still see it (click on "Letters from the Heart", optional Flash).
posted by wendell at 7:37 PM PST - 31 comments
"The concept of anarchism has always appealed to me"
says a senior ranking London Police Commissioner on
Urban 75 (posting as 'Brian the Commander'). "Say nothing on the web you wouldn't say on the office notice board" runs the popular wisdom, and Scotland Yard is set to
call him to heel.
But which serves us best - Dixon of Dock Green, slavishly following Police Federation convention, or Descartes of Dock Green, letting it all hang out?
posted by RichLyon at 1:07 PM PST - 4 comments
Afghanistan looks at itself:
Q: So if I brought you free films but they weren't about fighting, would you show them?
A: No.
A moving photo-essay on rebuilding Afghanistan's media sources.
posted by modge at 11:31 AM PST - 5 comments
What can The White Rose teach us today?
59 years ago..."February 22, 1943, 9am... three students from the University of Munich are brought to trial for treason. The trial lasts until 1 pm and by 5 oclock all are dead...Why are their voices silenced? And how many more innocent people will have to die before they are heard?" Their executioners maintained "It was not a time for tackling theoretical problems,
but rather for grasping the sword , yet [they] sowed doubt among our youth. [They] nourished doubt instead of dispelling it..."
In memory of Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, Christoph Probst, Alexander Schmorell, Willie Graf, Kurt Huber, and untold others whose terrible crime has been to speak truth to power.
posted by fold_and_mutilate at 11:11 AM PST - 21 comments
Detailed instructions on how to give birth to the reincarnation of Dr Hans Fink of Portland Oregon. Or Mother Teresa. Or Lady Diana. Or anybody else you feel like. Isn't modern technology something?
posted by signal at 11:06 AM PST - 2 comments
Russians Challenging Hughes Skating Gold
Russian Olympic officials lodged an official protest, demanding that Olympic Silver Medalist Irina Slutskaya be awarded a gold medal, accusing the ladies figure skating judges of being biased against the russian skater. This is the biggest batch of sour grapes I have ever seen in sports.
posted by Lanternjmk at 10:43 AM PST - 45 comments
Iran Online.
Can the opening of a countires 'cyber-borders' contribute to the liberalisation (small 'l') of the society?
Iran has a rapidly
increasing population, as well as a rapidly increasing online percentage, they have
sports sites (they seem to like soccer),
portals and the
'IranMania' search engine.
Can un-censored access to the internet help build
tolerance?
posted by asok at 10:20 AM PST - 5 comments
Figures show
shark attacks down in 2001. Before September 11, it was the "Season of the Shark." Perhaps we can forgive the
newscasters their excess in this matter. Or may be it's another reason to make sure you get your news from multiple sources and different media--now, more than ever.
posted by piskycritters at 6:35 AM PST - 10 comments
give war a chance
an influential Palestinian writer in a Palestine paper says that war makes more sense than negotiating for a peaceful resolution. Perhaps he ought to send his son into the struggle as a suicide bomber
posted by Postroad at 5:09 AM PST - 33 comments
Click here for martyrdom
(In Arabic though) The
Financial Times reports volunteers are invited by Ansar-e-Hizbollah, Iran's radical Islamic shock-troops, to register by internet for worldwide suicide attacks in the event of a US military strike.
posted by brettski at 2:11 AM PST - 4 comments
Today
is slacker day, at least in the UK. Rest up and do nothing all day. As
Spaced's Simon Pegg says on the site: "How can you possibly comprehend the value of your own hectic endeavour if you don't occasionally put your feet up and experience a state of complete calm. So, when Slacker Day comes around, stop Yanging around and Yin out for a bit. You'll feel better."
posted by viama at 1:16 AM PST - 13 comments
February 21
Russians going home?
Apparently, Russian Olympic Committee president Leonid Tyagachev said
there was a 24-hour window to address the situation, and that if Russia left Salt Lake City it probably would not compete in Athens in the next Summer Games.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:38 PM PST - 34 comments
Dr. Paul Linebarger
became a
spy for the U.S. Intelligence community because he was an expert in propaganda, psychological warfare, and the culture of China. In his
other secret life, however, he wrote some of the most
wildly inventive and
unusual science fiction ever, forming a history of mankind and its
Instrumentality that spanned fifteen thousand years. To protect his identity, he published under the name
Cordwainer Smith.
posted by Hildago at 7:25 PM PST - 15 comments
Um... not counting that whole WW2 thing.
February 18, 2002 -- President Bush, in a speech in Japan. "My trip to Asia begins here in Japan for an important reason. It begins here because for
a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times. From that alliance has come an era of peace in the Pacific." Of course, the
Official White House transcript corrects the blunder.
posted by crunchland at 7:23 PM PST - 61 comments
Teddy Bears to watch you
While other countries are banning teddy bears from Children's hospital rooms, Japan is putting digital high tech teddy bears that will watch you and inform doctors when you need help.
posted by AsiaInsider at 6:25 PM PST - 5 comments
"You were not responsive,
lying on a bed of sheets covered with blood." A young woman crashes her car, is airlifted to the hospital, and goes on life support. Her parents continue her 10-year-old diary during her stay in intensive care. Years later it's all posted to the web.
posted by D at 6:18 PM PST - 3 comments
Ethnic Cleansing: Wired Chimes In
"We want people to recognize we're average people," Hale said. "If we can influence video games and entertainment, it will make people understand we are their friends and neighbors.... As long as it doesn't denigrate white people or have pornography in it, it's OK with us."
posted by tpoh.org at 5:19 PM PST - 21 comments
The world's leading manufacturer of realistic feminine breasts.
Chestal nudity on second page, link is safe for work. "High quality breast forms." Not only do they make foam breats, but they are also using the latest advances in breast technology using Siloxane. Is your breast needing repair? Simply get some
breast renovator or some rubber or silicon nipples. The question now is, where can I sign up to work in the factory as a QA tester?
posted by manero at 5:11 PM PST - 15 comments
Frat Boys Gone Wild!
"...the last straw came when the national office discovered the chapter's recreational boxing tournament in which members recruited local homeless persons, "liquored" them up, gave them large boxing gloves and "let them go to town,"" apparently as part a "...tradition of cock fighting and gambling in the house's basement."
posted by n9 at 3:25 PM PST - 59 comments
The
Hottentot Venus is
going home. An African woman named Saarjite Baartman, apparently EXTREMELY overendowed in the buttock/labia department (second floor, next to men's shoes, watch the doors), she did the freakshow thing in Europe for five years in the early 19th c., was edited down at death to her relevant bits and pickled for posterity. Ever been to an actual state-fair freakshow? I saw the alligator lady in the late 70s somewhere in Kentucky. A morally complicated experience.
posted by luser at 12:35 PM PST - 19 comments
Rental car firm ordered to stop GPS speeding fine
(CNN via Wired) Those Acme Rent-A-Car guys in New Haven who were using the GPS units in their vehicles to track and fine customers who were speeding (mental image of Coyote holding just-opened credit card bill with eyes bugging out, mouth wide open, and ears straight up) have been ordered to stop and pay back all the fines they have collected so far. Big Brother held back for another day....
posted by BGM at 12:29 PM PST - 7 comments
Greeting, Dementoids and Dementites!
Stumbling upon this site today was like running into an old pal. I remember when I was 9 years old listening to the Demento show in the dark on my headphones and cackling my head off. The Doctor was also a
serious music scholar and record collector, who would play stuff like Bullmoose Jackson and Riley Puckett along with the Weird Al and Tom Lehrer, which would whet my appetite for more. He probably did spawned more record geeks in my generation than any other person. Good to see he's still around, even if no station in my area plays him.
posted by jonmc at 11:03 AM PST - 33 comments
Jheronimus!
For real connoisseurs of heaven and hell, i.e. life on earth, old
Bosch is still unbeatable. This slightly klunky and perhaps over-ambitious site(
The Bosch Game, for instance, didn't work for me) is thorough, scholarly and absolutely fascinating. [Do not view just before going to bed.]
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:46 AM PST - 6 comments
Complete collapse
of North Atlantic fishing predicted. North Atlantic catches have fallen by half since 1950, despite a tripling of the effort put into catching them. "We'll all be eating jellyfish sandwiches."
posted by uftheory at 8:53 AM PST - 20 comments
Amazon Easter Egg
--Click on "Directory of All Stores" near the bottom, then scroll down to the copyright notice at the bottom. Under the "1996" is an invisible link which will take you to the farewell page for one of their employees.
posted by faceonmars at 7:34 AM PST - 29 comments
