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October 31
I
didn't get to go this year to haunted houses so please let me live vicariously through your exploits. It was bound to happen: this here's the compulsory
first semi-annual HAUNTED HOUSE CRITIQUE MeFi thread! Feel free to share your stories of your favorite haunted house adventures this year. Where'd you go? How annoying were the lines? What was there? Didja pee in yer pants or didja punch out the guy with that obnoxious bleeding Screams mask? There's one in every crowd this year. Did they do the classics or go for modern scares? Who'd ya bring with you? Didja take point or hide in the back? You know the last one in the group is always the guy they attack in haunted houses. Anybody touch ya? You gonna sue? Give us the whole skinny.
posted by ZachsMind at 11:35 PM PST - 5 comments
Foreign Candy
Their Pink Grapefruit Mint is the candy that changed my life. The candy I can't live without. The Best Damn Candy I Ever Had. Really. Too bad it's Japanese. Anybody else hooked on non-native candy? (warning: links to a site awash in an asian character set -- but, you get cute monkeys).
posted by daver at 7:16 PM PST - 45 comments
Bravo Bill Moyers!
Once in awhile there comes a personality that can bridge ideological gaps. Granted these "gaps" are left, center left and moderate right. At that, Moyers is quite the ace. In this keynote address, Moyers speaks of patriotism, unity, heartbreak, renewable energy, "it could have been worse" scenarios, further terrorist attacks and who's side We the People should be on.
posted by crasspastor at 6:58 PM PST - 13 comments
Wonka!
We'd be remiss to let halloween pass without a shoutout to one of the best candy companies ever. Very nice Flash work here, too. What's your favorite Wonka candy?
posted by andnbsp at 5:40 PM PST - 29 comments
necco!
call me provincal but one of my favourite candy companies is the new england confectionary company -- there's really nothing like riding the no 1 bus over smoot bridge and seeing the candy coloured smokestack rising from their roof. okay, so sweethearts taste like chalk and necco wafers are out and out disgusting; there's nothing quite like the sky bar.
posted by pxe2000 at 3:53 PM PST - 15 comments
Low or no budget horror films. They're awful, and oh so enticing (prolly 'cause they can be awful, amusing, and sometimes really good).
How do you do
special effects on no budget? Boggles the mind. As Halloween as it gets, the independant film makers and horror officiandos have their own
portal. Crawl down these
haunted corridors at your own risk.
posted by Wulfgar! at 3:12 PM PST - 7 comments
Today is Reformation Day, the anniversary of
Martin Luther nailing the
95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church in 1517. He was largely criticizing the practice of selling indulgences (forgiveness for sins). He didn't intend to split with the church. He left room for the Pope to slip out of the indulgences corruption. But the Pope didn't, and the split eventually came.
posted by Sean Meade at 2:02 PM PST - 12 comments
candy for the
eyes, ears, and brain. Although the documentary was shown at SXSW(and other locations) earlier this year, i haven't seen much reference to it. profiles william gibson and his mind's view of what he envisioned as 'cyberspace.' be sure to click the 'don't click' link for an interactive
map that details some of the obscure points of the film.
and for those that already seen it, go get yourself some spooky, personalized M&Ms candy!
posted by donkeysuck at 1:40 PM PST - 4 comments
Since we're talking candy, as a kid I used to be addicted to
U-No Bars. This dates me but I unhaled those puppies. And it's amazing how many other "staple" candy bars they made.
posted by Danf at 1:18 PM PST - 9 comments
Hell
Houses Run by Baptists!!!!!
Does this happen in your neck of the woods? I had never heard of it, but on the radio this morning I heard that September 11th has become a popular motif for these haunted houses. I think this might be the scariest thing about Halloween.
posted by wsfinkel at 6:37 AM PST - 17 comments
They aren't hermetically sealed in plastic, so most trick-or-treaters nowadays will never have heard of
popcorn balls. But if you live in a trusting community, why not whip up a batch to give away tonight? (Hey, it's gotta be better than Snickers.) What's your favorite obscure Halloween treat?
(that isn't pancakes.)
posted by darukaru at 5:43 AM PST - 44 comments
Cronyism, alive and well in Boston
- departing Massachusetts Port Authority (the authority that oversees Boston's Logan Airport) executive director Virgina Buckingham has been given quite the golden parachute...in the form of a $175,000 severance package. This, uh, outrage puts Gov. Jane Swift in
tight spot...
posted by tpl1212 at 5:42 AM PST - 12 comments
October 30
Holy mackerel! Image analogies
are an NYU-developed technique for "teaching" the computer an image filter. Their software can do things like fill in the blank in the analogy (photo of a swan):(pastel rendering of a swan)::(photo of a landscape):________. I'm not doing it justice. Their site has some
compelling examples of what they can do. Gee-whiz factor of 8.5!
posted by MonkeyMeat at 10:26 PM PST - 17 comments
Haunted House = No STDs!
"As visitors make their way through a dimly lit, S-shaped maze, they view startling, full-color photos of canker sores and genital warts on male and female genitalia infected with syphilis, chlamydia or gonorrhea. An empty casket at the end sends a message that death awaits anyone who does not practice safe sex."
posted by adrober at 10:23 PM PST - 8 comments
Email Roulette
"When you submit your message, it gets sent randomly to another player who has signed up to receive messages. They have the option of responding to you or not; you won't know who it went to unless they write back... so you better make it interesting!....email Roulette is a great way to meet people and will doubtless provide you hours of random entertainment...."
What hallucinogens are these people on?
posted by Voyageman at 9:08 PM PST - 5 comments
Bridge Builder, revamped
I posted a link to this program months and months ago. Since then, the program has been revamped. It's now called
PONTIFEX, and it gives you more options for bridge building materials, as well as better 3-D graphics (including an option to view your bridges from the point of view of the train's engineer).
It's well worth another look.
posted by crunchland at 5:55 PM PST - 8 comments
What if Martha Stewart was a goth?
As it turns out, she'd just shy away from
elegant eggshell blues and seafoam greens in favor of
black and burgundy. Other than that she'd be pretty much the same. It's not too late to recycle your house in time for Samhain. A frivolous, yet convincing argument for a strange but useful marriage of ideas. Well, if you're into this sort of thing, of course.
Happy Halloween, MeFi!
posted by ZachsMind at 4:24 PM PST - 13 comments
A Columnist of the People?:
"Many people have told me they consider my writing a breath of fresh air. The question is whether a year of fresh air is worth the price of a music CD. I don't know the answer to that question, but this is my attempt to find out.
My proposal is a modest one. Whereas some Post writers earn $750 per column, I am proposing to write a weekly online column for $600 dollars Canadian (see U.S. dollar equivalents). This means I would be paid, over the course of a year, $31,200 for two days work per week."
I guess this is sort of a twist on the honor model, but wouldn't people possibly be more likely to go with something like a micro-ad, where they get some tangible ROI?
(via e-media tidbits)
posted by owillis at 4:08 PM PST - 20 comments
Ever wanted to be an online
mentor? Have you ever had an online
mentor? So many are so terribly worried about so many things right now. What are we doing?
Have you had a mentor on MeFi that showed you the way? The time to learn is now (methinks).
posted by Wulfgar! at 3:03 PM PST - 9 comments
The Chrysler Design Awards
include Susan Kare.
"Her bitmap wrist watch, travel-destination city fonts, lit bomb icon that signals a computer crash (they told me it would almost never be seen ) and smiling, welcoming Mac start-up screen helped re-envision the computer from machine to co-creator." -- "almost never be seen" -- heheheh. Well -- at least it's got more wit than a blue screen of death.
posted by fpatrick at 12:25 PM PST - 11 comments
Once in a
blue moon. Not only will the full moon on Halloween be the first in 40(i think) and the last for another 19 years, it is also a 'blue moon' which means that the moon is full
twice in the same month. Notwithstanding any MeFi visitors from
Detroit, are you feeling strange yet?
posted by donkeysuck at 11:08 AM PST - 25 comments
The dramatic way to open champagne.
Have you used or seen someone use a champagne saber? Amazing that the bottle neck doesn't shatter around the edges. I tried looking on Google for some lore and description but found nothing.
posted by mmarcos at 10:22 AM PST - 18 comments
Designdefenseministry
All out war! A call to arms for those pixelpushers out there. Sick sense of humor (like the kabul coverage) combined with really great gfx. caution: bandwidth!
posted by heimkonsole at 9:32 AM PST - 7 comments
Spooooky...
Everybody has their own favorite ghost story, and this site has catalogued thousands of them. Beyond that, they have videos, photos, lists of famous hauntings (find one near you!) as well as as guide to Ghosthunting 101. Creep yourself out, count the "phantom hitchhiker" doubles, debunk away, or gear up to become Egon Spengler Jr.. Happy hauntings!
posted by headspace at 9:05 AM PST - 16 comments
Do you believe what you're told by your government?
I don't. I'm quite the conspiracy theorist. One thing I do believe is that during the Vietnam war, battlefield evidence obtained by journalists directly contradicted the official word from the Pentagon. Starting with Ashcroft basically overturning the FOIA, numerous government agencies are using the Current Situation to get a stranglehold on information. Furthermore, they are getting rid of anything remotely distasteful to their administrators and beaurocrats. Most telling is the FAA's decision to remove records of past security violations from their website, basically ending public oversight of their self-policing activities.
posted by taumeson at 8:45 AM PST - 22 comments
Only in Utah -- with a twist. Check out the
beer list of Wasatch Beers of Park City, Utah. Their copywriters do OK -- but the real genius is in the last beer on the list:
Polygamy Porter. "Why have just one" -- indeed!
posted by mattpfeff at 8:30 AM PST - 10 comments
Said's ideal Mid East proposal.
In one of the more insightful pieces written lately about the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Edward Said might surprise those that see only fundamentalists in the Arab world. Excerpt:
And since the Palestinian-Israeli struggle has been so humanly impoverishing I would suggest that important symbolic gestures of recognition and responsibility, undertaken perhaps under the auspices of a Mandela or a panel of impeccably credentialed peace-makers, should try to establish justice and compassion as crucial elements in the proceedings. Unfortunately, it is perhaps true that neither Arafat nor Sharon are suited to so high an enterprise.
From
Al-Ahram Weekly, one of the most interesting English language news magazines originating in the Arab world.
posted by talos at 7:26 AM PST - 5 comments
Ask the ombudsman.
Are newspapers revealing too much information? too little? A news ombudsman receives and investigates complaints from newspaper readers or listeners or viewers of radio and television stations about accuracy, fairness, balance and good taste in news coverage. He or she recommends appropriate remedies or responses to correct or clarify news reports.
Michael Getler: Internal Critic with Big Audience: how the Washington Post's Ombudsman does his job.
An ombudsman is someone who handles complaints and attempts to find mutually satisfactory solutions. Ombudsmen can be found in government, corporations, hospitals, universities and other institutions. The first ombudsman was appointed in 1809 in Sweden to handle citizens' complaints about the government. It is pronounced "om-BUDS-man" and is Scandinavian in origin.
posted by Carol Anne at 6:38 AM PST - 2 comments
Tonight is Devil's Night in Detroit.
There have been measures taken in recent years to reduce the number of arsons on this night. From 6pm curfews to 'officially' renaming it 'Angel's Night'. Can a city that is known for this sort of behavior ever grow out of this image?
posted by tj at 5:10 AM PST - 40 comments
Virgin Mobile Phone Records Which Map Users Whereabouts Kept Indefinitely.
Admittedly, this data is only accurate to within a few hundred metres at the moment, but '
When the new breed of 3G - third generation - phones comes on stream, probably next year, they will enable the users' location to be pinpointed to within a couple of metres'. I know the current climate is increasingly pro-identity cards, pro-police state, but this can't be right, surely? Why do they want to keep this information indefinitely?
posted by boneybaloney at 2:49 AM PST - 15 comments
October 29
Battle Over Blocks
These essays offer a thoughtful insight into the Lego bricks we grew up with, and how the toys have changed with the times to reflect an absence of creativity in our society. Features Jeff Bates, cofounder of slashdot.
posted by johnjreeve at 9:10 PM PST - 25 comments
Stephen Wolfram: A New Kind of Science
- From the publisher's summary, "Starting from a collection of simple computer experiments illustrated in the book by striking computer graphics Wolfram shows how their unexpected results force a whole new way of looking at the operation of our universe." May be big. Thoughts?
posted by paladin at 8:48 PM PST - 26 comments
Notorious American correspondence player and chess writer
Claude Bloodgood has died.
'A convicted murderer who was
sentenced to death but reprieved, Bloodgood was the best
known of US prisoner players.'
I love obituaries. And what could be sweeter than the cold hand of death dragging
Chess Rogues down to Gehanna?
posted by crunchburger at 7:22 PM PST - 3 comments
some atrocious reporting from the usually responsible UK Guardian
Just an example of bad conclusions from little information. The sensationalist title of this story, reprinted from the Observer, is, "Anthrax attacks' 'work of neo-Nazis,'" (which seems like bad grammar to boot - why the apostrophe after "attacks"?) and then it begins, "Neo-Nazi extremists within the US are behind the deadly wave of anthrax attacks against America, according to latest briefings from the security services and Justice Department."
But if you read the actual article, here's the closest thing they have to a quote or face supporting this:
'We've been zeroing in on a number of hate groups, especially one on the West Coast,' a source at the Justice Department told The Observer yesterday. 'We've certainly not discounted the possibility that they may be involved.'
Is it just me, or is this drawing a lot out of a little, and just confusing the situation?
posted by moth at 3:41 PM PST - 20 comments
The Idea Line
is a Java-based timeline of net artworks, arranged in a fan of luminous threads. Each thread corresponds to a particular kind of artwork or type of technology.
Note - requires some patience as it streams in slow even over my company T-1. [via
IA/]
posted by willnot at 2:52 PM PST - 18 comments
speaking about socio-economic investments
(whether the $200 billion the government is investing into producing the joint service fighter will benefit
our society more if invested elswhere)... the seattle times carried
an interesting article about the bill & melinda gates foundation on sunday. with an endowment of $24.2 billion, it must find ways to give away the equivalent of $3.3 million each day, in order to meet federal tax rules to remain a non-profit/tax-free organization.
with so much fund at his disposal, it seems bill gates is attacking neglected social and health problems around the world with more resources than the u.s. government has been doing in some areas. with a small (and less bureaucratic?) staff, the foundation appears to be efficient and focused (reflecting the drive, passion, and result-orientation of bill gates). it will be interesting to watch the progress (and impact) bill has on the world besides what he does at microsoft. i wish him success.
posted by kliuless at 11:38 AM PST - 12 comments
All of the talk about
Islam, got me thinking about how religions move evolve/devolve and move even more and even sometimes go away. Sure, weve all heard of
Christianity,
Buddhism and
Judaism but how many recall
this one? Speaking of which, arent we due for another Big Ole Religion? Whats the next big God thing in your opinion?
posted by Dagobert at 10:28 AM PST - 73 comments
Virginia Moment of Silence
passes muster at the Supreme Court. Unlike moves to institute school prayer, the moment of silence allows for a moment of quiet reflection, which doesn't infringe on anyones rights to pray or not.
posted by Lanternjmk at 8:56 AM PST - 28 comments
Maori challenge Lego to stop using Maori words for its toys
Certain Maori objected to what they claimed was Lego's inappropriate use of Maori words, and the way Lego's Bionicle game mixed together strands of many cultures. So what's next? No syncretic philosophy/art? Although I suppose marketing Jesus or Mohammed or Buddha as crappy plastic superheroes might cause a little stir.
posted by phartizan at 8:26 AM PST - 44 comments
If you crow about your redesign,
claiming your site is now "better-looking and easier to use" (and not, say, "sludgy as Hotmail and nearly as ugly"), and you offer a
graphical tour to "show you how all these slick new features work", the link to which is a 404, are you the stupidest monopoly around?
Just wondering.
posted by textist at 7:26 AM PST - 26 comments
Is McSweeney's Sounding More And More Like Random House?
Or is it just me? As a lifetime subscriber and fan of David Eggers, I'm sickened by the glib, shameless commercialism that now contaminates what was once an interesting website for new writers. What in the hell has happened? Or is the new book-peddling climate just another tiresome take on post-post-post modernism or, more likely, just blatant PR?
(Latest example inside)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 2:21 AM PST - 19 comments
October 28
Class War - Divided we stand
"Yet at least a tenth of the country a very influential tenth in the media, the university, politics, foundations, churches, and the arts is adamantly and vocally at odds with most Americans."
posted by Oxydude at 4:41 PM PST - 56 comments
Saudis in the worst squeeze play yet.
SA is in a triangulation of criticism from Afghanistan, from within the country, and from Washington. The fall of this Muslim regime, a US ally, with a horrible human rights record and repressive culture, the largest supplier of oil in the world, and huge supplier of contract business for the US, is not something to take lightly. Catch-22.
posted by mmarcos at 3:53 PM PST - 10 comments
Monday is the last day to declare your intention to write a 50,000-word novel during
National Novel Writing Month (Nov. 1-30). "Dubious fiction writers from all nations are invited to participate," says organizer Chris Baty. So far, around 3,000 writers have pledged to bring 150 million new words into the world.
posted by rcade at 7:15 AM PST - 103 comments
October 27
WhoÕs BeingÊNave?
So to be realistic means to believe that bombing one of the poorest nations on Earth will not only reduce terrorism, but also fail to ignite a new round of anti-American fanaticism. To be nave, on the other hand, is to pay attention to modern history, which tells us in no uncertain terms that bombing people is rather likely to fuel their anger, resentment, and desire for revenge.
And it gets better...
posted by mapalm at 10:36 PM PST - 73 comments
Naipul thinks the causes of Sept. 11 are religious, not American foreign policy. (NYT)
"There is a passage in one of the Conrad short stories of the East Indies where the savage finds himself with his hands bare in the world, and he lets out a howl of anger. I think that, in its essence, what is happening.The world is getting more and more out of reach of simple people who have only religion. And the more they depend on religion, which of course solves nothing, the more the world gets out of reach."
posted by semmi at 6:07 PM PST - 36 comments
FBI Seeking to Wiretap Internet
"FBI has plans to change the architecture of the Internet and route traffic through central servers that it would be able to monitor e-mail more easily." (via InstaPundit)
posted by Mick at 2:56 PM PST - 29 comments
If you find that flags on SUVs or for sale in pop-under ads water
down the meaning of Old Glory, have I
got
some
flags
for
you.
Art's exploration of the flag as a symbol both strengthen it's value
as a powerful icon, and question our country's fallibility.
posted by machaus at 1:10 PM PST - 9 comments
The Official Berkely Breathed Website.
remember Bloom County? Outland? when I was younger, Breathed and
Waterson were definitely my favorite "strippers" (I even had the Bloom County screen saver pack!) although I was only about 12 at the time, I do recall being pretty put-out when Outland was retired. does anyone else feel the pleasant tingle of familiarity when you see Bill the Cat or Opus on a greeting card? (if you're not too familiar with Berke's works, check out some of his
favorite strips.
posted by mcsweetie at 11:08 AM PST - 20 comments
My Opinion-
The Director of Homeland Security that Bush appointed should have been a Muslim. This is getting out of hand.
posted by Counselco at 8:04 AM PST - 23 comments
Slashdot.info
is the address that I randomly typed in, (just for fun) and reached the page. Quite informative. Better than a
spoof page, atleast. Also, the
.biz is not registered yet...
posted by arnab at 2:30 AM PST - 3 comments
October 26
A Novel idea.
"Remote Sensing...provide service on remote sensing and its application to the satellite imagery map, as a core service system of remote sensing in Korea." This is just .01% viewing area of most countries' spying capabilities.
posted by wantwit at 10:20 PM PST - 2 comments
When
The Lord of the Rings series rolls around to Xmas 2002, will they have to change the name of the second episode from
The Two Towers?
Will Hollywood have settled down by then? Maybe it won't be a sensitive problem anymore. But what would be a good alternate title?
posted by crunchburger at 10:17 PM PST - 37 comments
Based on handwriting
the geniuses at the United States government have figured out the letters might be from the same source. I'm sure everyone has seen these letters... Isn't that a bit "duh." If everything is figured out at this lightning fast speed we will never find these people.
This reminds me a bit of those psychologists who report very obvious things... many times I have heard on MSNBC: "According to psychologists, the nation is in a state of shock. For some it may take weeks to escape this feeling, for others months." Is that really something we couldn't figure out by ourselves?
posted by yevge at 7:32 PM PST - 15 comments
Lockheed Martin
beat out Boeing for a
$200 Billion contract to build the new
F-35 fighters jets earlier today. Missile defense, planes that can take off vertically, bombs that fry electronics...military technology is accelerating at a really frightening pace.
posted by catatonic at 6:41 PM PST - 36 comments
The Apple G5 SPHERE!
SPHERE! It's Round! It's hella'fast. Get to the page before
Apple sics the lawyers on them and makes this great page
vanish.
If someone has already posted this sorry, I haven't seen it, but I'm pretty new...so there you go.
posted by Dome-O-Rama at 1:10 PM PST - 48 comments
Oops.
So, the governor of Texas appoints you as the new point-man for domestic safety in the state. Some say it's pay-back for staying out of the Republican Senate primary (where the governor's friend is running) and deciding to run for Lt. Governor. Despite some criticism, you run a four-page glossy ad in a Texas magazine touting your qualifications for Lt. Governor, including your recent appointment as the Texas anti-terrorism czar. The ad features a waving American flag and a patriotic soldier. Only one problem: it's a German soldier.
posted by conquistador at 12:24 PM PST - 15 comments
Show your openmindedness!
In our extended discussion of the war, the (un)fairness of war, etc., it's been incredible how many MetaFilter regulars have changed their mind or reconsidered their opinions! (wink, wink) Here's something for those former pacifists. Now we need to find something for all those former hawks. [via
Instapundit]
posted by prodigal at 9:55 AM PST - 9 comments
Tourist Jailed for Oral Sex
A German tourist who pleaded guilty to having oral sex in Zambia was sentenced on Thursday to six years in jail with hard labor, court officials said. Note to self: cancel Zambia honeymoon plans.
posted by arielmeadow at 9:31 AM PST - 35 comments
The American Declaration of Independence.
Given the debate over whether the US can or should try to do nation-building in Afghanistan, I wonder if revisiting our own Declaration of Independence would clarify things. It strikes me that this document (especially the preamble) would apply to anyone, anywhere.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...
posted by mrmanley at 8:59 AM PST - 39 comments
Curly and Motly are kinda cute, but Luncheon and Lambchop look might tasty.
The children from St Canices school in Westport New Zealand welcome you to Lambs Online, where ten of our students are fostering 10 lambs which have been adopted by a group of Japanese school children from their sister city in Amagese Japan. Each lamb has its own personal website and we invite you to follow their progress through the eyes of our students by clicking on the photos and links below.
posted by adampsyche at 6:49 AM PST - 6 comments
The U.S.
Department of Justice issued a
revised memorandum for how to treat requests received under the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that establishing a "sound legal basis" rather than the existing "foreseeable harm" standard for defending FOIA request refusals in court, John Ashcroft FOIA Memorandum, October 12, 2001. This was part of the EFF link below, but it's probably disturbing enough to have it's own discussion.
posted by rhyax at 6:18 AM PST - 5 comments
The New War on Terror
Noam
Chomsky has written a book called
9-11. He analyses the situation in a long essay published in
Counterpunch.
Quote:
We certainly want to reduce the level of terror, certainly not escalate it. There is one easy way to do that and therefore it is never discussed. Namely stop participating in it.
posted by alex63 at 4:19 AM PST - 62 comments
October 25
A Sign of Our Times.
(No, not the part about the mom mailing her son's ashes to the student loan office. The part about the employees freaking out thinking it was anthrax.)
posted by Fofer at 11:48 PM PST - 6 comments
The Iranian Secular Opposition Movement.
I came upon this via another
item I found on Plastic.com. (Where, BTW, one of the more cogent comments in the related thread was by one MayorBob) So, I'm wondering where does this lead to? The first line of that wretched 60s hit
Eve Of Destruction does come to mind... Has anyone else heard anything about this?
posted by y2karl at 8:12 PM PST - 6 comments
Army to develop video games.
According to an Yahoo article, a venture funded by the US Army is developing videos games for the home market. "The U.S. Army will provide funding, but its Training & Doctrine Command bureau will also be involved in game development, ICT said.
The games will allow players to control entire groups of soldiers, ICT said, with CS-12 allowing the player to take the role of a company commander and C-Force putting the player in the role of squad leader."
I kinda get an "Ender's Game" sort of feel from this.
posted by Darke at 5:42 PM PST - 16 comments
Pencam verité
Using an inexpensive digital camera about the size of a magic marker, the photographer/webmaster of
pencam.org demonstrates how a keen eye for detail and composition and a little bit of Photoshop tweaking can overcome cheap tech with his gallery of
hundreds of extraordinary images taken from daily life.
posted by MegoSteve at 4:39 PM PST - 15 comments
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....
for Boston Red Sox fans. This story from espn.com's Page 2 about Game 6 of the 1986 World Series is well-written and fills me with sympathy and empathy for Sox fans. See, as a Yakee fan, I was rooting against them at the time, but I feel sorry for them now. What a cruel punishment that game must have been. So close, and yet so far. (Please pardon my sports digression and shameless use of cliches.)
posted by msacheson at 3:06 PM PST - 34 comments
Arundhati Roy's latest piece on the war.
This is absolutely devastating. In prose as beautiful as it is powerful, she manages to touch on issues ranging from the definition of terrorism to the inanity of the food drops; from Taliban brutality to the oil cabal. Some will hate it; some (like me) will thank the stars that people like her are in this world.
posted by mapalm at 2:50 PM PST - 74 comments
Meanwhile, back in some secluded spot...
Refugees are fleeing for their lives as a town of 20,000 people is completely demolished-in Nigeria. The Economic Community of West African States (
Ecowas) has agreed to take urgent action to eradicate slavery, i.e.
children making chocolate. I could go on and on.
Why does Africa receive such little attention when it's really the bigtop in the circus of world suffering?
posted by quercus at 2:28 PM PST - 25 comments
If This Be War.
This essay by a military historian puts the current muddle of conflicted opinions about war into historical perspective with startling clarity.
Thanks to the Little Green Footballs weblog. I find interesting stuff there every day.
posted by Tubes at 11:39 AM PST - 10 comments
From a piece in the NYTimes today,
Home Front Is Minefield for President:
"The lesson we're learning," one administration official said today, "is that you can bomb the wrong place in Afghanistan and not take much heat for it. But don't mess up at the post office."Leave it to the White House to come away with exactly the wrong interpretation. But the facts are there, too -- most Americans are more concerned about the (relatively slight) risk of getting Anthrax than the rather significant risk that, if we screw up in Afghanistan, we might lose the current coalition against terrorism, Bin Laden, and any hope for "homeland security" for a long time to come....
posted by mattpfeff at 10:47 AM PST - 12 comments
Gov Agency creates bare-bones web index
Web sites assume that you know a little about what you're looking for. One US Federal agency has created a
navigation engine that requires virtually no understanding of anything.
I'm torn. Part of me wants one of these navigation tools for every website I use. Part of me is a little disappointed that sites have to be this least-common-denominator-simple for people to use.
Do you like it? Would you want one for the sites you use? Discuss.
posted by basilwhite at 10:18 AM PST - 14 comments
GINORMOUS banner ad at download.com.
From what I can tell, it only auto-expands on the first visit, presumably cookied, but I was still pretty annoyed. If you click to view, it blows up again, runs a little commercial at you(sndtrk by Madonna), and shrinks again. A little better than the layout-destroying monoliths other sites are using?
posted by Su at 10:14 AM PST - 20 comments
USA for USA.
A spoof of "We are the World." Probably ten years old, but I for one have never seen it before. Streaming video.
posted by swift at 9:32 AM PST - 14 comments
The crimes they are a'changing.
This comes from the daily police log of The Union newspaper Grass Valley/Nevada City, CA. Surveillance cameras (and apparently not very effective ones) were stolen while mystery powders kept the cops hopping.
posted by tnadeau at 9:13 AM PST - 5 comments
PBS discriminates
A posting a day or so ago suggested that in the Israeli/Palestinian issue, PBS slanted its coverage. I had argued in a post that there was a larger issue: PBS slants on many issues. This piece shows where,why,how and when.
posted by Postroad at 8:11 AM PST - 10 comments
Time to Crack Down on Cock.
"The driver had no license plate but plenty of chickens -- all of them clucking from the back seat and trunk ... The officer knew what he was seeing: The suspect was headed to a cockfight -- and jail."
posted by bclark at 7:02 AM PST - 14 comments
Why the world needs America to cheer up
This article claims America and New York in particular have lost faith in an economic recovery. Can any New Yorkers tell me whether this is true?
A side note:
The (London) Times has been excellent since 9/11 IMO, although the site desperately needs a redesign. I'll do it! Employ me!
posted by Summer at 6:35 AM PST - 8 comments
Windows XP Launches
"The most significant operating-system upgrade since Windows 95" -
PCMag, but with such demanding hardware requirements, I think I shall hold off XP. Having played with Beta 2 it seems novel and easier for beginners.
Are you tempted/hooked on the Windows E
xperience?
posted by williamtry at 5:27 AM PST - 61 comments
Marvel Comics ditches the Comics Code
- I haven't been
with it in terms of comics for about 10 years now, but I found this article to be fairly interesting. Apparently,
"Marvel is growing up with the rest of the country" (according to editor-in-chief Joe Quesada) by
ditching the CCA and introducing its own internal "ratings system." I can't decide whether to stodgy and support the campiness of what I grew up with (DC's
"Crisis On Infinite Earths," for one) or agree that comics should change (Captain America in a "compromising sexual situation," though?)...or perhaps I shouldn't really care, considering the last "comic" I picked up was
the Watchmen graphic novel...and I have an inkling that not much out today could compare...
posted by tpl1212 at 4:59 AM PST - 26 comments
October 24
If this story is true,
then the Indonesian authorities have a lot of work ahead of them in combating corruption. Who's ever heard of the police openly working with smugglers to force refugees on to an overloaded boat
at gunpoint?
posted by jetgrrl at 11:35 PM PST - 4 comments
Nice concert, crap song.
I would have given anything to hear Sean, Yoko, Moby and Rufus Wainwright singing "Across the Universe" which might be my fave Lennon song of all time. But this concert was never televised in the SF Bay Area and now STP's cover of "Revolution" is being flogged on alternative rock radio
in the Bay Area. And it sucks, IMO. Damn.
posted by Lynsey at 11:15 PM PST - 15 comments
"Closer to 3,000"?
NYC City hall has been quietly trimming the official count of the missing and dead from the collapse of the World Trade Center. This number, often simply "Five thousand" in my and most people's minds, actually comes from several sources, the trickiest of which are reports of missing loved ones to the police. People keep coming up with their own numbers. How would you count it? What does it mean if we say "Five thousand" but your kids learn "Three thousand" in their grade-school social studies texts?
posted by rschram at 10:38 PM PST - 36 comments
Don't like blowing people off? Let
these guys do it for you.
Possibly the best idea ever? Does anybody know of services like this in other cities?
Be sure to listen to the outgoing message...
posted by TiggleTaggleTiger at 10:11 PM PST - 4 comments
If I see one more ad for
K-Pax, I'm going to snap. 2001, with the exception of
Waking Life, has been an awful year for movies. And having this tired rehash of both
Starman and
The Fisher King (oh, Jeff, we can't always be The Dude, now can we?) being foisted on me is
not helping. Are there any movies that you're looking forward to? Any you're actively loathing?
Discuss.
posted by solistrato at 7:53 PM PST - 83 comments
Powerpoint invades the NFL:
"The way they do it with the PowerPoint, it livens up meetings and makes them more interesting". Imagine the sideline hijinks when all the plays disappear because of SirCam! What kind of coach would Vince Lombardi be if he had a setup
like this? I still miss the
glow puck from hockey, but I could do without the
"virtual billboards" all over the darn field. Should computers and sport mix?
posted by owillis at 7:51 PM PST - 9 comments
The truth about what's really happening
Quoting my cow-orker, who's going to see him speak next week, David Icke "used to be a professional footballer with Coventry City, until retiring with arthritis. Then he had a minor epiphany, and came to the realisation that the world is run by blood-drinking alien reptiles, who can disguise themselves as humans -- Queen Elizabeth and George W Bush are two such examples." Do all-encompassing conspiracy theories come any better than this?
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 6:39 PM PST - 21 comments
The 2002 Demotivators
are great! My personal favorite is
Arrogance but then again they're all good. I have 1 of the 2000 series that I still get alot of comments on... maybe I'll get another?
posted by tilt at 3:56 PM PST - 7 comments
Manchester's Gay Village is being invaded ... by straight people ...
'Bob and Rose', the latest TV show from Russell T Davis (the creator of 'Queer as Folk') featured the every day story of a gay man and straight woman falling in love. Now the place where it was filmed is being flooded by women looking to fulfill the fantasy. Is this a new extreme form of media tourism? An interesting aspect of the story is that the community is objecting because these new visitors arn't following the established rules of regular patrons ...
posted by feelinglistless at 2:36 PM PST - 10 comments
Is NPR anti-Israel?
I listen to NPR all the time and hadn't noticed any (overt) bias against Israel, but I only listen in the mornings...maybe it's on in the afternoon.
posted by mrmanley at 1:10 PM PST - 46 comments
The religious language used by the terrorists
may suggest what they are really thinking, argues Robert Wisnovsky in
Slate. His conclusions might not be what you expected: one, they're not particularly Islamic, but rather use Islamic terms to "
attempt to lend religious weight to what is basically a political ideology
"; and two, their real target is not America or the West (except indirectly), but the monarchies of the Arabian peninsula. Interesting insights from a linguistic perspective.
posted by mcwetboy at 12:57 PM PST - 21 comments
There's something unsettling
about this story, something about General Colin Powell being responsible for the establishment of a progressive government in Afghanistan, some kind of question like 'Under whose authority... how is he qualified... whose interests is he repres...." floating in the back of my mind, but it's the strangest thing, I just can't articulate it. All that bile must be hindering me somehow.
posted by saladin at 12:03 PM PST - 30 comments
