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February 28
A Confessional for Pilots
- To improve aviation safety in America, NASA runs the
ASRS, a service that collects voluntary, anonymous reports on aviation-related goofs in exchange for certain
immunities and suggestions of clemency. Every month selected reports are published in the
Callback newsletter, showcasing the full spectrum of factors that lead flyers to bad decisions: distraction, bad habits, overconfidence, poor planning, "get-home-itis", and on and on...
posted by tss at 11:55 PM PST - 9 comments
Typing...on a screen!
Text (and cover image) of a 1973 issue of Radio-Electronics mag, showing a new fangled way of typing with a TV screen. I like how the mag is billed as "for MEN with ideas in electronics." Heh...
posted by braun_richard at 7:45 PM PST - 8 comments
So I finally got around to watching
24, Fox's Golden Globe winning prime-time show. I normally don't go for shows like that, but I'd heard about
the controversy surrounding this season's story line. I was pretty damned shocked when the hero decided to spark up some electrodes and torture one of the terrorists to get information out of him. Apparently,
this is
nothing new for the show.
Can anyone think of a precedent for this type of heroic depiction of torture? On a network tv show?
posted by es_de_bah at 6:27 PM PST - 100 comments
Constant Trek
is the Australian husband and wife team of Gary and Paula Constant. On the 1st of August, 2004, they left London from Trafalgar square to walk to Cape Town in South Africa. It is a distance of over 10,500 miles, and has been four years in the planning.
posted by thebwit at 5:00 PM PST - 5 comments
"... Giordano Bruno might have been a pantheist.
A pantheist believes that God is everywhere, even in that speck of a fly you see there. You can imagine how satisfying that isbeing everywhere is like being nowhere. Well, for Hegel it wasnt God but the State that had to be everywhere; therefore, he was a Fascist.
But didnt he live more than a hundred years ago?
So? Joan of Arc, also a Fascist of the highest order. Fascists have always existed. Since the age of . . . since the age of God. Take Goda Fascist.
Umberto Eco in the
New Yorker
posted by matteo at 11:06 AM PST - 36 comments
Optimus Prime Dies of Prostate Cancer
"When it comes to prostate cancer, there's more than meets the eye," National Prostate Cancer Coalition CEO Richard N. Atkins, M.D. said. "Often times when one has symptoms for prostate cancer it's already in its late stages, thats why early detection is so important."
posted by oissubke at 10:18 AM PST - 29 comments
"In politics, the impossible is the immoral."
A surprisingly thoughtful essay on the "uniqueness of Palestinian terror" from, of all places, Tech Central Station. I found much with which to both agree and disagree in this article - and on such contentious issues, that's no doubt the case for all readers - but, I found that, in reading this piece, my neurons never stopped firing, which is a rare and unusual sensation these days. 'Tis interesting.
Also attempting to deal across boundaries in the Mideast conflict:
Bitter Lemons, which features two themed columns apiece by Palestinian and Israeli writers each day.
posted by Sticherbeast at 9:48 AM PST - 8 comments
Our
old friend and sparring partner
Laurie Garrett has
resigned from Newsday, citing the dismal state of contemporary journalism: "When I think back to the old fellows who were retiring when I first arrived at Newsday guys (almost all of them were guys) who had cop brothers and fathers working union jobs I suspect most of them would be disgusted by what passes today for journalism."
posted by IshmaelGraves at 9:35 AM PST - 10 comments
Pupna
is "the search engine puppy that retrieves EXACTLY what you are searching for (and absolutely nothing else!)" ;-)
This is a simple yet rather humorous search engine parody - are there any other good ones out there?
posted by Metauser at 2:40 AM PST - 20 comments
What's Going On In Balochistan?
(
part 2)
Deception and treachery. Live and let die. The ultimate zero sum game. Repetition of bloody history: Call it what you may, something is happening in the Pakistani province of Balochistan that defies comprehension on any conventional scale. From a posting at
The Agonist. According to the article
Balochistan may be the key to future developments in Central Asia. Two former KGB agents report that Russian, Indian, Iranian and American agents are all supporting a resurgent insurrection which is
becoming increasingly active. Why would these countries do this? Two easy answers:
Oil pipelines and
China's Gwadar Port.
posted by afu at 12:53 AM PST - 9 comments
February 27
The main business of Napanoch, N.Y., is a maximum-security prison, Eastern New York Correctional Facility, also known as Happy Nap... There is, however, a reason that inmates call the prison Happy Nap. Eastern is more relaxed than other maximum-security prisons, or 'maxes,' in upstate New York, with less hostility between staff and prisoners, and as a result fewer U.I.'s, or 'unusual incidents' -- stabbings and the like. It is said that the farther upstate you go, the harsher the prison conditions can be. Among New York's maxes, Eastern has one of the best reputations. It is one of only three maximum-security prisons in the state where you can still get an education -- not just in manual skills, but a proper college education with a degree at the end, thanks to privately financed initiatives.
Uncaptive Minds
posted by y2karl at 9:40 PM PST - 14 comments
Eastwood wins.
Clint Eastwood got the double dipper tonight with Best Pic and Director. Not that Scorsese isn't badly due one, but the fact is, The Aviator is not one of Marty's top five films, while Million Dollar Babies is top five among Eastwood's pics. It's that simple.
My thought: I think this film and Mystic River proves, once and for all and without argument, that Eastwood is among the top American directors ever, up there with Scorsese, Sidney Lumet, Woody Allen, and the others. (He's actually better than Allen). I think all of the critics like Pauline Kael who dissed Clint without thinking over the years have to eat it and eat it hard.
posted by Leege at 9:14 PM PST - 115 comments
Is your favorite
swear word losing its
potency? Stock up on some new ones with the
Swearsaurus, a "
vast array of swearing, profanity, obscenity, blasphemy, cursing, cussing, and insulting in a massive 165 languages"
posted by Quartermass at 2:11 PM PST - 21 comments
funky do morro
From the ghettos of brazil comes this funky and fun music that recalls the energy and optimism of early 80's hip hop. Think Afrika Bambaataa and Malcolm McLaren. Before rap crossed over to the dark side.
posted by vronsky at 1:15 PM PST - 13 comments
Kids with Cameras
(warning, embedded QT video in link)
With an
Oscar Nominated documentary,
Born into
Brothels, under her belt,
Zana Briski's spinoff project,
Kids with Cameras, teaches children growing up in difficult circumstances the art and skills of photography to empower them to appreciate the beauty and dignity of their own expression.
With projects in
Calcutta,
Haiti,
Jerusalem and
Cairo, they send great photographers to lead workshops, the children are given inexpensive 35mm cameras to capture
whatever they choose and then the children's
pictures are shown (and
sold) around the world through exhibits, books and film.
posted by fenriq at 12:14 PM PST - 7 comments
World Jump Day.
Help fix global warming the easy way: get 600 million people to jump at the same time, and shift the earth's orbit. [Warning: somewhat irritating Flash interface.]
posted by DrJohnEvans at 10:07 AM PST - 30 comments
Governors Work to Improve H.S. Education
The nation's governors offered an alarming account of the American high school Saturday, saying only drastic change will keep millions of students from falling short.
"We can't keep explaining to our nation's parents or business leaders or college faculties why these kids can't do the work," said Virginia Democratic Gov. Mark Warner, as the state leaders convened for the first National Education Summit aimed at rallying governors around high school reform.
posted by Postroad at 9:02 AM PST - 44 comments
February 26
From the Top
is a weekly radio show broadcast
throughout the USA. It originates from Boston's New England Conservatory, but travels all over showcasing young classical musicians. The show can be heard (RealAudio) from the website, and there is an extensive
library as well an
archive of past shows (
photos too)... the kids are very talented, and the show's
hosts are great at bringing out their personalities.
posted by indices at 6:25 PM PST - 2 comments
Big Fun in the Big Town
Incredible German-produced documentary on hip hop and NY street culture from 1986. Features interviews and performances from Grandmaster Flash, Doug E Fresh, Run DMC, Roxanne Shante & Biz Markie, Schoolly D, and more.
posted by svidrigailov23 at 10:44 AM PST - 18 comments
Another reason to practice safe sex?
Man meets woman. Man has oral sex with woman. Woman keeps the sperm, uses it to impregnate herself, then sues for child support. Man counter-sues for emotional distress and "sperm theft". Although the emotional distress claim is still active, the "sperm theft" claim was dismissed. On that point, the court decided:
When plaintiff "delivered" his sperm, it was a gift -- an absolute and irrevocable transfer of title to property from a donor to a donee... There was no agreement that the original deposit would be returned upon request.
posted by halekon at 10:30 AM PST - 87 comments
Meet Mark.
I am a 49 year old truck driver. Divorced, one daughter, 18, looking for a LADY, 45 to 55 years old, no tatoos, no body piercings except ears, but most importantly NOT LIBERAL (lady and not liberal kind of go hand in hand, don't they?).
Mark is just one of the many available lovebirds waiting for you at
Hannidate --
Sean Hannity's very own Internet personals.
posted by grabbingsand at 10:19 AM PST - 87 comments
In
Education of Children from Birth to Puberty, Jesuit priest
Frank Nimrod shares his wisdom about the human body: "The cannibals can tell us that the fresh and warm brain, just taken out of the cranium is very sweet," and "Our nose does not only serve the purpose of respiration, but the purpose of smelling also." Meanwhile, retired Bell Telephone Laboratories engineer
I.W. Whiteside writes an entire volume decoding the strange light patterns on his bookcase. His conclusion? Aliens! "After much thought, I concluded that these people have computer brains and laser-beam eyes." These are just two of many
odd books.
posted by hyperizer at 9:34 AM PST - 10 comments
Republican Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney - a likely contender for the Presidential Race in 2008 - pulls out the "
gay marriage" card in two recent speeches: one in
South Carolina; the other in
Utah. Forget the fact that Romney seems to be spending most of his tenure as governor traveling outside the state, campaigning and not dealing with the affairs of the State, but he has now
flip-flopped on his stance...and now continues the use of "gay marriage" and "civil unions" as a divisive political ploy on a national stage.
posted by ericb at 7:56 AM PST - 26 comments
February 25
Sequoiadendron giganteum,
the giant sequoia, is arguably the largest living thing on earth. The second largest specimen, the Washington Tree, has recently been
getting shorter. It's top was discovered to be hollow in 1999--a researcher rappeled over 100 feet into the trunk--which is why its been vulnerable to fire and storms in recent years. The
before and after pictures show its transformation from a tree into, well, a
great big stump. But don't count it out just yet. Scientists think this old bugger
may bounce back. Still, it's probably time for a
visit, don't you think?
posted by donovan at 5:25 PM PST - 8 comments
Biojewelry
: Now you and your betrothed can exhange ring made of bone.
Your own bone. I, for one, welcome the day when consumer biotech makes our lives.....weirder. (Some pics not safe for the squeamish.)
posted by gnutron at 2:13 PM PST - 15 comments
With a Hush and a Whisper, Bush Drops Town Hall Meeting with Germans
During his trip to Germany on Wednesday, the main highlight of George W. Bush's trip was meant to be a "town hall"-style meeting with average Germans. But with the German government unwilling to permit a scripted event with questions approved in advance, the White House has quietly put the event on ice. Was Bush afraid the event might focus on prickly questions about Iraq and Iran rather than the rosy future he's been touting in Europe this week?
posted by Postroad at 2:13 PM PST - 53 comments
Condoleeza Rice's Hot Dominatrix Outfit
"Rice looked as though she was prepared to talk tough, knock heads and do a freeze-frame 'Matrix' jump kick if necessary. Who wouldn't give her ensemble a double take -- all the while hoping not to rub her the wrong way?"
"Rice's coat and boots speak of sex and power -- such a volatile combination, and one that in political circles rarely leads to anything but scandal. When looking at the image of Rice in Wiesbaden, the mind searches for ways to put it all into context. It turns to fiction, to caricature. To shadowy daydreams. Dominatrix! It is as though sex and power can only co-exist in a fantasy."
(Washington Post)
posted by punkbitch at 1:52 PM PST - 62 comments
Sunset Story.
High-spirited old leftists who refuse to go gently. A documentary about a pair of extraordinary women who live in a "nonprofit retirement home for free-thinking elders."
posted by semmi at 8:11 AM PST - 5 comments
Blogs suck
according to Michael Gorman, incoming president of the American Library Association.
posted by gimonca at 7:39 AM PST - 70 comments
February 24
Desperate Houseflies
: "In the backdrop of a picture-perfect neighborhood called Diphtheria Lane live six suburban houseflies whose lives are anything but perfect."
posted by dhruva at 10:37 PM PST - 9 comments
The Demoscene
is still going strong. It's been awhile since we last
discussed the scene, and it's still cranking out tons of great stuff. The new home of the scene has categories and ratings, which sure beats the
old standard. There's a bit of everything, from
legos to
disco, from
256 bytes to
64k to
fairly large, and from
Amiga to
Mac to
C64. All of the videos that require weird or new hardware have videos on the site, so everyone can enjoy the incredible programming, art, and
kinda cheesy music.
posted by JZig at 10:32 PM PST - 18 comments
I have been thinking about
masks lately.
Masks are
ancient and
universal, our ancestors put on masks to become an other, to become a god, even unto
this day.
Greek tragedy and
comedy began in the worship of
Dionysos, the
god of wine, intoxication, and creative ecstasy, in
rituals where worshipers often wore or worshipped masks. Indeed, the word for mask in Greek drama was persona, now commonly used to describe
constructed online identities. And so
we understand ourselves as wearing masks, whole series of masks--behind which we find only emptiness, for we can never see ourselves truly.
posted by y2karl at 9:03 PM PST - 30 comments
Ten best film list a critique of the U.S? The venerable [some say notorious] French film magazine
Cahiers du Cinema unveiled their
ten best films of 2004 list recently.
Other than their list typically leaning toward films by
auteurs - such as
Ingmar Bergman and
Hou Hsiao-hsien [and
Tarantino] - they also included
The Village by M. Night Shyamalan. With that choice are they rewarding the artistic merits of the film [which
most critics view as minimal] or are they making a statement about The United States? In short do they view the U.S. like the characters in the film - an isolated bunch of paranoid [Puritan] villagers living and acting off of their fears? Or is there some other reason they would choose the film as one of the year's best?
posted by Rashomon at 6:43 PM PST - 38 comments
When Multimedia Was Black and White
is a wonderful trip down memory lane, back when posters, music, games, and print layouts were done in crude black and white. Be sure to click on the little disk icons to see all the screenshots from old 80s apps.
posted by mathowie at 5:44 PM PST - 14 comments
Biggest Hair in Sports. Ever.
Australia and New Zealand recently played a
Twenty20 cricket match in Auckland - the first time this shortened version of the game (it
only take four hours to play) has been played in New Zealand.
To celebrate the occasion, the New Zealand team (for some unknown reason) spent the weeks before the game going retro: growing 70s style moustaches and sideburns, and wore their much-maligned beige uniforms that the one day team used to wear in the 80s. When the
team took to the pitch in front of a capacity stadium, the crowd was suitably rapturous in their appreciation of the
efforts made.
Has
a bigger mop of hair ever taken to a field or court in a professional sport, anywhere, ever?
posted by noizyboy at 5:00 PM PST - 55 comments
The 0xdeadbeef mailing list
, an early Metafilter, predates most of the Interweb and continues to this day. Run by
nerd kernel hacker Glen McCready, it chronicles such gems as the
Windows 95 RTM Baby Benchmark,
Steve Job's Theory of Life,
how to use sendmail.cf to play Towers of Hanoi,
the eskimo's (purported) 100 words for snow,
our terrible historical beer shortage,
the Shift Key FAQ,
the one click guide to becoming an international arms trafficker,
the Rockwell corporation's theory of near space defense,
the world record for an encased pork product,
Abbott and Costello Speak Unix,
the deer paving incident,
the Etch-A-Sketch Support FAQ,
the debunking of the don't run in the rain study,
entertaining error messages from Netscape beta releases,
the world's worst PDA-related simile,
the coolest smooth move ever,
suggestions for improvements to the Matrix, and
the secret habits of VPs. Among about
20,000 jokes, news items and random bits. A mother lode of archaeological timewasting goodness.
posted by felix at 3:50 PM PST - 14 comments
Tank-FX
Back in the day reverbs were created using speakers set up in a
chamber to make a studio recording sound like it was in a bigger space. Then
springs and plates were used to record the reverberations from electricity bouncing around metal. Eventually these were modelled in
electronics with varying degrees of success.
But now, as we see, the more things change the more they stay the same and you can participate in the world's first
truly global reverb.
posted by klik99 at 2:56 PM PST - 14 comments
The European Union
abandoned a plan to ban Nazi symbols throughout it's member nations. The ban was strongly supported by German
Ministers of Parliament after British Prince Harry wore Nazi insignia to a costume party. Among those opposed to the ban was the
Hindu Forum of Britain (press release) who launched a campaign to reclaim the Swastika. The symbol its self was in
Frequent popular use before WWII. Anti-Communists in former Soviet Block countries sought to
expand the ban to communist emblems. Searching for different points of views on this came up with an
earlier story of interfaith conflict over meaning, and a parallel to the European debate going on in
New Zealand.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 1:09 PM PST - 39 comments
Discover The Network.
I thought it was a joke, but it's not. I really enjoyed the intermingling of politicians/celebrities/academics with "known terrorists", "despots" and "bad people." And they use
Touchgraphs in their network analysis, good web apps at work! [
via]
posted by gsb at 11:00 AM PST - 27 comments
CiteULike
is a site for tagging online academic articles. It lies somewhere in the intersection of del.icio.us, CiteSeer, and EndNote. When you
tag an online article, you can add your own metadata, develop your own collection, and share other people's collections. You can also export your collection to BibTex or EndNote. While you can't access articles that you or your institution do not subscribe too, there seems to be a fair amount of CiteSeer stuff in there, for instance in relation to
collaborative filtering. There are also some
groups, such as
The Philosophy of Information.
posted by carter at 8:02 AM PST - 12 comments
Dave Winer slams the new Google Toolbar Autolink feature
as "poorly thought out" adware that unilaterally raises "serious integrity issues" for the Web.
Southern Rants adds this pointed critique: "The most important point Winer makes is that it's not about technology. It's about making a HUGE change on the Web, our new social nexus, without discussion. See, he and I are old enough to remember when no one would do such a thing without taking it to ISOC or some such org. It needs discussion. It needs consideration. That's what Google doesn't understand."
[via Ed Cone]
posted by mediareport at 7:48 AM PST - 96 comments
