Archives

February 24, 2014
Lucy and the Football

The next step on Alfa's interminable road back to the United States seems to have finally be reached. Of course, saying "there will be Alfa dealers in the US" isn't much better than saying "we will return to the US someday." But, to paraphrase a recent Top Gear episode, believing in Alfa's return is the triumph of hope over reality.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
February 20, 2014
Script Crypt

An ancient manuscript which has resisted all attempts at decryption may finally be on the verge of giving up its secrets. At least it seems that it's not a hoax, so they've got that going for them.

Posted by scott at 06:22 AM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2014
Gipsy Dharma Boots

Possibly the most awesome boots on the planet!

No, I personally do not own a pair of these bad boys yet, there are too many colors to choose from!

Posted by Ellen at 10:59 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2014
'Shroom Save

Scientists seem to have developed an effective antidote to one of the world's deadliest mushrooms. I cut out the middle-man and simply don't eat the things, but it's nice to know if something went extremely wrong and I ended up eating one anyway, I wouldn't be doomed.

Posted by scott at 07:20 AM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2014
Magma Motion

Icelanders have managed to drill all the way through the Earth's crust, creating the first magma-powered geothermal energy source. I guess there are a couple of advantages to being sited on a really huge hotspot after all.

Posted by scott at 08:02 AM eMail this entry!
January 30, 2014
Snakes a Hoppin'

In other news, there are snakes that jump from trees and can glide as much as 100 feet in the air in search of prey. I remember watching a documentary about these things eons ago, but I'm pretty sure this is the first really systematic look at them I've ever seen.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2014
Oooh... Ahhh... Pretty...

Posted by scott at 07:20 AM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2014
Reused, Recycle

It's come to this: One man's nostalgia for his childhood in the '80s has him chronicling all the different ways businesses are re-using old Pizza Huts. I got my first job at a Pizza Hut back in (I think) 1985. I just checked Google's Satellite view and it appears to still be there, red roof and all.

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
January 06, 2014
A Dashcam, for the Rest of Us

The new Corvette will come with a nifty option that should help cafe racers all over the country. It just might be useful for putting a driver in the pokey as well, so be careful with your misbehavior.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2014
Dead Ground

London: great place to visit, just don't do any digging. I'd expect pretty much all European cities that have been continuously inhabited since antiquity will be like this. Paris and Rome in particular are quite well known for their catacombs.

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
December 30, 2013
Old Stock

When one hundred years old your negatives get, look as good they will not. I'm not sure if it's a chronicle of heroes, or maniacs. Probably both.

Posted by scott at 06:09 AM eMail this entry!
December 26, 2013
Jar Head Weeble

It's true: You can literally turn a Marine inside-out and they'll just keep coming back for more. Kind of puts the time I broke my toe in perspective, I'll tell ya that.

Posted by scott at 06:01 AM eMail this entry!
December 18, 2013
Your Thought for the Day

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December 16, 2013
Knock Knock

Posted by scott at 05:28 AM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2013
Out of the Dark

Coming to a TV near you: Dolby labs is set to unveil a new screen technology that promises vastly higher contrast on LCD displays. I think. They may have come out with a new TV instead, or maybe it's only intended for professional editors. But, hey, TOYZ!

Posted by scott at 07:25 AM eMail this entry!
December 03, 2013
Sub Find

Stalin to US Navy: All your captured subs are belong to us!

US Navy to Stalin: U no can haz!

Stalin to US Navy: Ur treety, let me show u it!

US Navy to Stalin: Captured subs? What captured subs?

That's pretty much how it went down in 1946, and now someone has found one of the subs in question. These aren't war memorials, but I'll bet their sunk too deep to be considered for salvage or preservation.

Posted by scott at 07:28 AM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2013
You have 30 seconds to comply

In the "not-sure-if-serious" category we have this plan to deliver gifts by drone. By far the biggest hurdle will be regulatory. Several groups have been trying to get permission for drones to fly in US airspace, not the least of which being the US military, but the FAA so far has insisted on a case-by-case approval system that is very slow and expensive. Not to mention the hobbyists who would probably order a bag of pencils and then wait in the front yard with a net gun.

Posted by scott at 06:20 AM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2013
Go E-Racer, Go

Formula E, the series that promises to bring all-electric open wheel racing to the center of famous cities, has released this video of a test of the new vehicle. While far from silent, it absolutely makes a whole lot less noise than F-1. Judging by the video, it makes a whole lot less speed as well. They haven't fitted the production battery yet, so there's still hope they'll go quicker than a souped-up golf cart.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2013
Doctor "Whostery"

We're a week away from the 50th anniversary special, so let the promotion begin!. Of all the "classic" episodes featured on the recent retrospective specials on BBCA, Olivia seemed to like the one featuring the first doctor the best.

Posted by scott at 07:04 AM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2013
Swim the Crack

Ever wonder what it's like to swim between continents? It's like nature's own swimming pool!

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
November 11, 2013
Sky Road

I dunno about you folks, but rusted out cable cars give me a "not so safe" feeling. But if that's the only way to get to work, I guess it's the only way. You'd think someone would at least put a coat of paint on the damned things.

Posted by scott at 07:31 AM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2013
At Speed

Nearly forty years after its inception, Cannonball Run speed records are still being set. In this risk-averse era I'm personally surprised some busy-body hasn't figure out how to charge him with something after-the-fact. Oh, and sad-panda: Brock Yates has advanced Alzheimer's

Posted by scott at 01:41 PM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2013
Strange Brew

Leave it to the Scots to come up with a beer that's stronger than most whiskeys. And yes, in case you were wondering it'll probably catch fire readily. I guess we can now add "potential motor fuel and cleaning agent" to the things beer can do.

Posted by scott at 01:29 PM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2013
Sort of Want

It's come to this: a bacon beer milkshake. The liquor gang has had the 'sweet frou-frou drink' market all to itself for too long.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2013
Bear Grab

If all else fails just grab its tongue. See, I avoid this altogether by living in this thing they call "civilization." It greatly reduces my chance of getting eaten by a bear. Getting run over by Buffy the Cellphone Slayer? Well, there's always tradeoffs in any decision.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2013
Your Daily Squee

Posted by scott at 07:24 AM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2013
Curvy

Samsung has unveiled a smartphone with a curved screen. Oh, and a thousand dollar price tag. While interesting, what everyone seems to be looking forward to is fold-out displays that start small enough to fit in your pocket but that can unfold into iPad (or larger) sizes. Living science fiction!

Posted by scott at 06:18 AM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2013
Why Not?

A pink Lamborghini, with Richard Hammond at the wheel? It's more likely than you think. 'Scuse me, just a little dusty in here, that's all.

Posted by scott at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
October 03, 2013
Fire Charger

Coming to a campsite near you: a phone charger that works using the excess heat of a campfire. Of course, having power doesn't mean you get a signal, as we found at our last camping trip.

Posted by scott at 06:25 AM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2013
Puttin' it Together

If you thought putting an F-1 car together might be pretty neat, you're right. A carbon fiber (or "fibre") gearbox sound pretty darned spiffy.

Posted by scott at 08:47 AM eMail this entry!
September 27, 2013
Up And Down

And now, a picture of a skydiver falling while a rocket is rising. There's "baby smile" lucky, and then there's "holy crap, a rocket!" lucky.

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
4cya!

"I was expecting to find a Fisher-Price “My First Ferrari” sticker somewhere on the interior, because while the whole thing looks quite nice, it’s constructed of the same quality materials as a Barbie Corvette."

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2013
Speaking of Ugly

Jeep's Cherokee replacement seems to be better than it looks. It's not clear just how much involvement Fiat had in the styling of the unit, but I'll give it one thing: it'll never be accused of being bland. It sounds like they have some nifty off-road widgets for it, too. And since when did automatic transmissions start to rival bicycles in the number of gears they carry?

Posted by scott at 07:12 AM eMail this entry!
September 23, 2013
Nice Pack

It looks like that, after more than sixty years, a workable jet pack is about to become reality. Ducted fans aren't known for their quiet operation, this one seems to be no exception. I do like the bit about the safety 'chute, though.

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
September 19, 2013
SPLAT!

The thing is, dropping 2000 pounds of concrete is pretty effective if you can hit a small moving target. You don't really need explosives. Of course, there's that whole "blow up the building" aspect that explosives bring to the table.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2013
Frisbee Car

Alfa Romeo has officially approved of Touring to produce its Disco Volante concept car. The only trick: you need to provide one of five hundred $200k sports cars as a donor before the build will be possible. It'll happen, of course--there's always at least one rich loon for nearly everything. I'd really doubt there will be more than five made, though.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
Your Thought for the Day

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Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
September 10, 2013
Down in a Hole

The good: The world's largest cave system is about to open up for tours.

The bad: It's in Vietnam. Oh, well. The pictures and video sure are pretty!

Posted by scott at 08:27 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2013
80s Obsession

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Because Science!

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
Big Boom

Scientists have announced the discovery of one of the largest volcanoes in the solar system. You'll never guess where it is. Author of the article gets an "F" for not including a comparison with the big Martian volcanoes.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2013
It's Not Like They Paint Themselves

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
August 23, 2013
Dive Bomber

It's all fun and games, but only after the hawks head south for the winter. Ah, Canada. They're even polite to homicidal wildlife!

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
August 21, 2013
Useful!

Another week, another story about "drones" finding a civilian use. Yep, you guessed it, RC helicopters! I was never good enough to get mine that close to the ground without crashing. The multi-rotor types are supposed to be easier to fly, and do less damage with their rotors.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2013
Hushmobile

Canadians have admitted they're working on a "stealth" snowmobile. No, I didn't know radar detection was that much of a problem when it came to cold-weather mobility, either. It turns out what's most important is making the thing as quiet as possible. That makes a little more sense, eh?

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
August 14, 2013
Old Station

Another year, another breathless article about New York's "hidden" subway stop. I think this is at least the second, maybe even third article about this exact subject. It's like the city isn't quite up to the task of actually pulling the idea off.

Posted by scott at 06:50 AM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2013
Blood and Rust

You'd think that, with commodity prices what they are, giant piles of very high-quality steel wouldn't just be left out to rust. I know in the US they recycle entire tank hulls for precisely this reason. Then again, nearly all of it seems to be mouldering in old Soviet-bloc nations, so I guess you could say "because Communism!"

Posted by scott at 05:44 AM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2013
Roboburger

It looks like a surly teenager may no longer be the one cooking up your next fast food order. Automating fast-food production has been ongoing probably for as long as there's been fast food. Kind of the point, I guess.

Oh, and those of you pining for a "true living minimum wage"? Yeah. You can dine on the ashes they'll be serving up over there.

Posted by scott at 09:06 AM eMail this entry!
August 05, 2013
Vertigo Much?!?

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2013
Fun with Alfas

You know, they keep showing videos like this, I'll start to think the thing exists. Of course, it's always been easy to get Alfas to appear in Europe. Appearing on this side of the Atlantic, that's the real trick.

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2013
Shiny Lure

Google is at it again, this time coming up with something that looks very much like an Apple TV killer. I've been trying to figure out how to stream Netflix from my PC to my TV ever since I read that's the best way to get digital sound out of the thing. It'll beat running a wire all the way from my laptop, at the very least.

Posted by scott at 06:59 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2013
Fun with Shaving

It's cool enough that everyone you work with shaves their head to show solidarity with your son undergoing cancer treatment. It's even better when the famous guy you're working with does it, too. For 89, George looks pretty good.

Posted by scott at 07:57 AM eMail this entry!
July 23, 2013
Gap Filler

If enough people push together, they can do remarkable things. The gap on Metro here in DC can't be much more than a few inches wide. Either Japanese trains just have bigger gaps, or maybe she actually just got a foot caught or something?

Posted by scott at 08:49 AM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2013
Fun with Robots

Not news: nerds build elaborate costume for Comicon. News: nerds in question are led by Stan Winston. I can just barely make out where the operator "lives", but only by staring at it really hard. The servo noises seem obviously fake, and it looks to be as much puppet as it is robot. I can't imagine walking around in it for any length of time. Must be some sort of weightlifter they have in there.

Posted by scott at 07:19 AM eMail this entry!
July 18, 2013
Nerds vs. Monsters

It may not make for a very good movie, but our military is probably better prepared for a giant monster attack than you would at first think. I once ran the numbers on one of those penetrating bombs and, if the aero calculations were correct, when dropped from about 60,000 feet it hits the ground at well over Mach 2. Yeah, I think that a ton of explosives moving twice the speed of sound would take one of these things down quite nicely.

Posted by scott at 08:44 AM eMail this entry!
July 17, 2013
Behind the Scenes

As with most things after the lights are turned on, Disney's haunted mansion has a completely different look when they need to work on it. Personally, I like seeing how it all works, but I get it if other folks don't.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
July 15, 2013
Modern 1812

Ever wonder what it'd be like if you dropped a propane cylinder into a fire? Our Russian friends are on the job! They're right, you definitely want to take a look at the second, longer video. Also keep an eye out for the opposite lane traffic that eventually just decides to turn around while still in the lane and go back to find another exit.

Posted by scott at 10:38 AM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2013
Act Now!

Wait here while I get my checkbook. the "world's most valuable Alfa" is heading for the auction block. This one was once driven by none other than Tazio Nuvolari. Dude, it's called Wikipedia, you go look him up. Anyway, the article claims it's been restored, although by the looks of the thing it was a very "authentic" restoration. Coming to a vintage race near you!

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2013
It's Only Original Once

Even the collector car hobby can experience a change once in awhile. Witness the growing preference for completely unrestored vehicles. What's that, you say? Why, I didn't even notice that's what the car was. How convenient.

Posted by scott at 06:11 AM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2013
Cookie Fruit

Our nation's wandering in the darkness has finally come to an end. Watermelon Oreo cookies have arrived. The author is very... enthusiastic... but the overall gist seems to be that they are good, if you like watermelon anyway.

Posted by scott at 06:26 AM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2013
Fire and Air

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2013
Oooh... Ahhh... Pretty...

Edmunds crosses the finish line first with this, well, "first look" at the Alfa Romeo 4c. Unfortunately for us, and likely for them, they miscalculated the price of the carbon fiber construction, so it now appears likely the price point will be in the mid-80s. This moves it seriously upscale, well past the cars it was meant to compete against. And, of course, it hasn't actually made it over here yet. Ah, well. I'll just have to wait a few years before I can blow some of my kid's inheritance on a used one.

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2013
Bit By Bit

What better way to start a Monday than a look at a few iconic landmarks as they were being built? I didn't realize the St. Louis Arch was such a comparatively new construct.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
May 30, 2013
Good, Creamy Fun

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May 29, 2013
Splatter Save

An iconic Jackson Pollock original has been completely restored, and in the process old mysteries were solved, and new ones were revealed.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
May 28, 2013
Pew Pew Pew!

Ever wonder what it's like to be under an artillery barrage? Well, no, I haven't either but the video sure is cool. Unfortunately since this is real life, far too many people know exactly what it sounds like to be under an artillery barrage. For many, I imagine it's a rather brief experience.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
May 24, 2013
Steam Punk Park

It looks like that, after something like thirty years, the French have finally come up with an alternative to EuroDisney. Even though it looks like it's just one giant mechanical elephant and a really weird carousel, I still think this would make a cool import to our shores. Here's to hoping!

Posted by scott at 06:27 PM eMail this entry!
Adapt and Reuse

Sears is poised to become a data center giant. It's their property, they can do what they like with it. Department stores aren't particularly well known as icons of architecture, but surely this is more efficient than yanking the old structure down and building something new in its place.

Posted by scott at 07:05 AM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2013
When Lego Goes to 11

Someone went and did it... they went and made a replica X-wing out of Lego. Full size replica, no less. It's a steel-framed construct that weighs 46,000 pounds. Of course I want one. Don't you?

Posted by scott at 06:17 PM eMail this entry!
May 20, 2013
Flipper Find

Navy Dolphins have discovered a rare early torpedo off the California coast. Fortunately they didn't feel the need to blow the thing to bits for safety's sake, so maybe it'll be put on display some time in the future. Worked with a flywheel instead of a motor, so steampunk fans should be all atwitter over it, too.

Posted by scott at 03:30 PM eMail this entry!
May 17, 2013
Cosmos Redux

Neil deGrasse Tyson has been tapped to host an upcoming "reboot" of the iconic series, Cosmos. There've been several thinly disguised copies of the show created over the years. I think Morgan Freeman's Through the Wormhole came closest to the balance of wonder and fact that made the original so captivating. Tyson himself hosted another, although its title escapes me. It'll be interesting to see what he brings to the explicitly titled comeback.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2013
BFT

Coming soon to an oil tycoon near you: an IMAX "private theater". That seats about thirty people, it looks like. Meh, your money, your house.

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
May 03, 2013
Tiny Terror

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Robofly

Presenting the world's smallest flying robot. It's mostly meant as a research tool into insect flight, but apparently with a bit more miniaturization it can be turned into a fully-autonomous design. No worries. I'm sure I'll figure out how to crash it.

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
April 29, 2013
Fun with Beards

So... Maybe I've found my next hobby? Oh, who am I kidding? Mine starts driving me nuts five days after I trim it.

Posted by scott at 06:05 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2013
Drop 'em

Ever wonder what it'd be like to ride down with the jeep during an air drop? Well of COURSE we're gonna help you imagine that. Other than that really big swing at the start, it doesn't really look too bad. You know, just from watching.

Posted by scott at 10:22 AM eMail this entry!
April 19, 2013
Bad Guy Busted

The man in the iconic, and horrific, picture just after the Boston bombing has not only survived, he seems to have helped identify at least one of the bombers. Unfortunately it seems that one got bagged by the Boston PD last night. Here's to hoping they can catch the other one alive.

Posted by scott at 06:25 AM eMail this entry!
April 16, 2013
Boom!

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April 15, 2013
Trigger Time

Next time you visit the battleship New Jersey (no, I haven't either, but...) it looks like they'll let you pull the big trigger. A battleship, like any complex machine, is meant to be used. Not using it causes almost as many problems as letting it sit idle. If you're going to spend money on maintenance anyway, why not have a little fun with it?

Posted by scott at 09:22 AM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2013
Time to Let Go

In fishing, sometimes it's "the one that got away." Other times, it's "the one that got taken away." I've never heard of a Galapagos shark. Looks more like a great white to me, but I'm far from an expert.

Posted by scott at 07:19 AM eMail this entry!
April 09, 2013
Testify!

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Pew Pew Pew!

The Navy has announced plans to deploy an operational laser weapon to a warship in 2014. It's a solid state infrared type, which means it's way better than the Air Force's aborted ABL project. But it's also limited in power and versatility, so it ain't the end-all, be-all. Still, it seems fine for making pirate barbeque or whacking Persian drones from the sky.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
April 08, 2013
Hover Cart

Those of us who enjoy the carts more than the golf have a new reason to head to the course. What I think the real innovation is gets completely passed over by both the video and the article: noise control. Hovercraft have been around since at least the '50s (probably longer), but one of the main things that holds them back from general use is the enormous racket they make when they work. If this one is quiet enough to use on a golf course, it would seem they've finally conquered that engineering obstacle.

Posted by scott at 07:06 AM eMail this entry!
April 07, 2013
Air Saile

Alternate title: Paging Frank Sinatra, White Courtesy Phone Please. Since it's a sail boat, that means all the lift has to be generated from a tailwind, not a headwind. And... I think you can only go fast on REALLY windy days?

Posted by scott at 09:08 AM eMail this entry!
April 03, 2013
Spiffy

Watch out! Here comes the spider car! No doubt there will be much wailing and tearing of shirts from a certain segment of Alfisti at the thought of a spider made in Japan. Me, I'm just hoping for an opposite result from the last time Alfa partnered with a Japanese car maker.

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
Finding Cash

Disney has announced a sequel for Finding Nemo will be released in 2015. On the one hand, there's the standard "finally run out of ideas" complaint. On the other, sequels exist because we want to spend more time with a set of characters. Here's to hoping it doesn't suck!

Posted by scott at 07:38 AM eMail this entry!
April 02, 2013
Peep Power

Exactly how we managed to miss the 2013 Peeps Diorama Contest, I never will understand. Too busy with foster kittens, I guess. Nah, f- that. I blame Obama.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2013
On Patrol

If you think life on one of the world's busiest waterways will always be interesting, well, you're right. Dhows have been wandering around that area's oceans for nearly three thousand years. They'll probably still be doing it three thousand years from now.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2013
Nasty Dreams

Lest you think the American Dream is well and truly dead, here's a reminder that it can still come true. I'd never heard of "Nasty Gal," (hint: it's a line of clothing, not a "sexy tyme" site), but I'm not exactly their target demographic, either.

Posted by scott at 06:22 AM eMail this entry!
March 25, 2013
They're BAAACK!

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March 22, 2013
Timber!!!

Posted by scott at 12:14 PM eMail this entry!
March 14, 2013
Poo Pic

A cheap lens, some double-sided tape, and a flashlight can turn an iPhone into a microscope. True, it doesn't seem to be particularly powerful, and it mostly is used to take pictures for "stool samples." But, hey, if it helps de-worm kids, it's all good.

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
Holy Photostat

Only hours after electing a new Pope, the Vatican has announced it will be digitizing its entire catalog. The collection is enormous, so the project's expected to take most of a decade. It wouldn't surprise me if such an effort led to new discoveries. The Vatican library is also incredibly old, so it's nearly inevitable that there are mis-filed and forgotten stuff in there.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
March 11, 2013
Love in the 21st Century

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March 01, 2013
Fun with Umbrellas

It turns out you really can float around under an umbrella. For a brief time, anyway. With a really big umbrella. Just because it's shaped like a parachute, doesn't mean it'll act like one.

Posted by scott at 09:55 AM eMail this entry!
February 21, 2013
The More You Know...

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Game Boi

Making the rounds: Sony has officially announced the PlayStation 4. And by "announced," they seem to mean "talk about it a bit, show some movies, and hand out some pictures. Our last console was the original XBox, which I think we eventually ended up giving away. Not saying I won't eventually cave and get another console, but I'm not saying I will, either.

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
February 20, 2013
Pill Sobriety

A group of scientist is developing a pill that actually will sober you up, fast. Right now it's only been tested in mice, and one stage of the process turns the alcohol into rocket fuel, but hey, that's just engineering. If it works out, I'm thinking a big bowl of these things will become a fixture at your local watering hole.

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
February 18, 2013
A Man's Game

In the "why didn't anyone think of this sooner" bin, we now have a video arcade game based on, and dispensing, beer. That has to have been in a Simpsons episode at some point, and I just don't remember it.

Posted by scott at 03:24 PM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2013
Pow!

It turns out Russian dash-cams aren't just good for capturing the mayhem on their roads. They're also great for snagging pictures of an occasional meteor strike. We thought the first and third videos were the best. Make sure you've got a good set of speakers/volume level for the third one. BOOM!

More here.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2013
Skunkworks Spaghetti

Edmunds on-line gives, then takes away. First they tell us Chrysler's SRT division is actively engaged with the upcoming 4C's development, and then follow that news up with the rumor that it's heavier and more expensive than originally planned. Which is to say, it's an Alfa. Every time I think the Italians have finally sorted it all out...

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2013
Pricey

Those of you wondering if Mr. Bean ever got his fancy car fixed can now breathe a sigh of relief. They only made 64 of them, so it's nice to see it get resurrected instead of trashed. And I'm not worried too much about the insurance company or Atkinson's premiums. I'm just about certain he was using a specialist insurer who was no fool about assessing the risks of such a unique car.

Posted by scott at 10:15 AM eMail this entry!
February 04, 2013
Dem Bones

The remains found underneath a British parking lot have been confirmed as belonging to Richard III. "It's not often I go searching for a king, but when I do I go to a parking lot." It seems the plan is to re-bury him in the nearby cathedral. Don't miss the slideshow at the bottom-right of the article.

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January 27, 2013
Paging Paul Simon, White Courtesy Phone Please

The latest best-selling recording in the UK is... a thousand year-old nothing. Tiny, unremarkable churches that just happen to be a thousand years or more old seem to be an English staple. Yes, there are genuinely ancient cathedrals all over France, and Germany definitely has some ancient basilicas. It just seems that the UK has a monopoly on churches that sit quietly in the corner, unremarked for ten centuries or more. Sometimes, they have books that sit on the same shelf for at least that long. I kid you not.

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January 26, 2013
Hot Ball

Weird sounds!

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January 24, 2013
Meanwhile, in 1990

Everyone's favorite sing-song TV auto show has been kind to Alfa over the years. Witness their very positive take on the last sedan imported to the US, the 164. Motor journalism is usually very kind to Alfa. The cars are fun, and the writers never have to live with them for very long. With the 164, that meant the failures of the climate control system and the engine's finicky maintenance requirements were simply not a problem. I've always liked them, but Ellen doesn't. She prefers the looks of the Milano. Yeah, I know.

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Finders Keepers

A contractor renovating a house discovered a nice cache of guns behind a wall. Of course, since it's the UK, I'm pretty sure the nanny state will walk up and "liberate" them. Still, it's a fun thought to imagine it happening here.

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January 23, 2013
Nerd Classics

Wizards of the Coast, the company that now owns the Dungeons and Dragons brand, is releasing PDF versions of classic manuals and adventure modules. The thing is, the early versions were often flawed, sometimes deeply. Still, nostalgia will likely trump the flaws, and it's not like you couldn't have fun with the old stuff. Far from it. And it would seem my old manuals may actually be worth something nowadays, even as chewed up as they are.

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January 20, 2013
Meanwhile, in Russia

While we here in the Mid-Atlantic are (so far) enjoying another mid winter, Russia is dealing with a "Snowpocalypse". Hopefully now that communism is gone, they at least have access to some snow blowers. Oh, and stay the heck off the road, those people are CrAzY.

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January 18, 2013
One-off

In the midst of all the C7 hype, a group of Corvette enthusiasts is restoring a prototype from the past. Note the tube frame, and the good ol' cast-iron pushrod V8. Hopefully someone is making a documentary about it. Those hand-built cars always have a lot of interesting stories to tell.

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January 17, 2013
Scottish-American

Speaking of innovative booze, it looks like American single-malt whiskey makers are starting to really get noticed. The last time I tried scotch I thought it tasted like postage stamp glue. I just now realized that was more than twenty years ago, so maybe I'll take another crack at it. That said, I have a love/hate relationship with whiskey (I love it, it hates me) which will likely carry over to this stuff. Maybe I'll just stick to beer.

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My Kind of Breakfast Drink

Two words: breakfast beer. You're welcome.

Also, a recycling plan I can absolutely support.

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January 16, 2013
Plastic Liberty

A group of internet gunsmiths has demonstrated the ability to create 30-round magazine for an AR-15. It would, naturally, neatly circumvent any legislative attempt to make such an accessory illegal. Just this morning I was thinking, "how could they possibly want to go through with something so obviously unpopular?" Then I remembered the health care debacle. It seems that, when the Republican Party fails to get its members elected to office, the Democrats are more than willing to step in and lend a hand.

Posted by scott at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2013
New Vette

Ahead of the Detroit Auto Show, GM has revealed the next Corvette. I think the front shows quite strong Ferrari influences, but the back seems to represent a complete departure from previous versions. It reminds me more of the current Camaro than anything else. Text of the article includes crayon-prose explaining things like torque.

Posted by scott at 06:22 AM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2013
Four-Kay Play

Like the idea of a 4k TV, but wonder about how to get the content? Wonder no more. This is the first mention of any sort of 4k player I've read anywhere. As the article mentions, the rest are based on bulky server solutions. If 4k eventually catches on (I think it might), these guys may end up cornering the market.

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Glowbug

The scales of a species of firefly have allowed engineers to significantly increase the brightness of LEDs. By a whopping 55%, no less. I wonder how they get them to fly so close together?

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2013
Speaking of Gifts

In the "I'm surprised it's taken this long" file, we have a full-sized replica of HAL 9000. Seems pretty pricey to me, but I'm just not that big of a Kubrick fan. I will say, however, that if you haven't seen 2001 in a hi-def format like Blu Ray you should take that chance. I snatched a 1080i broadcast of it off a cable channel, and it really was quite impressive.

Posted by scott at 06:50 AM eMail this entry!
Stir-Fried Churches

It's still too early to be sure, but it would seem the savior of an ancient cathedral will be... olive oil. The crazy thing, to me anyway, is that the cathedrals are really only moderately old churches. The UK has dozens of far more modest structures that date to the sixth century, or even earlier.

Posted by scott at 06:21 AM eMail this entry!
January 08, 2013
Seems Kinda Big for a Shark

A German company has developed a laser weapon system capable of destroying targets more than half a mile away. All weather, too. The article doesn't say if they're solid-state or not. Getting high power output from a laser without using chemicals has been a goal of the industry for quite some time.

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January 02, 2013
Your Thought for the Day

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Oled! Oled!

So, will your next TV be a hyper-resolution 4k unit, or one that's just a few millimeters thick? They're both sitting north of the $10k mark right now, which means my answer is "not any time soon." Still, it does mean there's finally tech on the horizon that'd make me actually consider replacing the unit we have today.

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January 01, 2013
Happy New Year!

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December 31, 2012
Fancy Balloon

A German engineering firm has created a pretty nifty flying... thing. Buoyancy is provided by helium. The funky shape and the way it moves is what provides propulsion. Bonus: powered by a smart phone. Hey, it's not like you really need super-precision to fly something that's just going to sit there if you stop.

Posted by scott at 07:09 AM eMail this entry!
December 29, 2012
The Continuing Voyages...

Not sure how we missed it, but it looks like the name Enterprise will grace another aircraft carrier. A new-style big-deck one, no less. Beats the hell out of naming them after politicians, is all I'm saying.

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~ Hammer of the Gods ~

One of the largest Viking ships ever found is scheduled to go on display at the British Museum in 2014. This one's old enough and fancy enough to have actually been built for King Canute, one of the great "What If" kings of England.

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December 21, 2012
Down in a Hole

I genuinely like old buildings, old places, because the edges and details of whatever they are now provide clues to whatever they were then. In downtown DC, for example, there are certain areas which still have police telephone housings. And then there's a basement in Portland with a very old secret.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2012
TV Time

Coming soon to a media center near you: Sony has announced a new line of "4k" TV sets. Boasting a native resolution four times higher than common HD TVs today, Sony is also providing a media server with 4k content and a promise to refresh that content periodically for free. At a whopping $25,000, I'd expect nothing less.

I seem to recall it took big (36" +) LCDs about ten years before we started to seriously consider buying one, and about four years after that before the TV we had finally fell over and died. Our current TV is 4 years old, so we seem to be right on track for one of these 4k things, in 2023.

Posted by scott at 07:13 AM eMail this entry!
December 14, 2012
Fun with Fright

Horror films. Serious business. Hey, man, it's only make believe after all!

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December 13, 2012
That's a Lot of Martgueritas

"Imagine all of the buildings on Manhattan, suddenly starting to move and fall over. I bet it'll be even cooler if I ever manage to get it in HD on my home theater rig at home. Nature can be... big...

Posted by scott at 09:58 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2012
When Snacks Attack

And now, introducing... beer battered bacon-sprinkled deep-fried Doritos. You're welcome. Pleased to be forming an orderly queue...

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December 10, 2012
Virus Chopper

Problem: your DIY drone may not be the best-performing one in the competition.

Solution: crush your enemies, drive them before you, and hear the lamentation of their servos. I, for one, welcome our goofy battery-powered virus-wielding overlords.

Posted by scott at 07:13 AM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2012
Ancient Fabulous

A recent archeological find is all the excuse The Daily Mail needs to make catty observations about women and fashion. Now that I think about it, they usually don't even try that hard.

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December 06, 2012
No Matter Where You Go

Most of those "you gotta see this!" videos, you don't.

This is not one of those videos.

Posted by scott at 07:03 AM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2012
You Go, Gramma

Problem: alopecia has struck you completely bald.

Solution: Wigs are SO 20th century, dear.

My wife if this ever happens, let me show you her...

Posted by scott at 06:55 PM eMail this entry!
Y Iz Fud in Funny Pakaj?

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December 03, 2012
Practical Science

Finally, engineers have created a truly important invention. Of course, heat-resistant chocolate won't be cheap. Would you be willing to pay the premium? I think it'd rely on a number of factors, and yes, hormones and the equipment that generates them figure prominently on that list.

Posted by scott at 01:39 PM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2012
Bendy Phone

Coming soon to a provider near you: a phone you can bend and twist without damaging it. Ellen is justifiably famous for abusing her electronics. She recently went through two phones in three months. This could be a godsend for her phone insurance provider.

Posted by scott at 03:29 PM eMail this entry!
Helicopter Parenting, FTW!

A man... somewhere in the world... has cooked up an almost-autonomous flying drone to walk his kids to the bus stop. There are still navigation issues, and (as with all choppers this size) range is a real problem, but it does work. Hmmm... Olivia's school isn't much more than about 1/3rd of a mile from here. Interesting...

Posted by scott at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
November 28, 2012
Kyah-Boom!

What better way to cross the middle of the week than with a series of really neat volcano pictures? I know living near one is bad news, but they sure look impressive.

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November 26, 2012
Finally, an Explanation

I've been wondering why dash-cams are so damned popular in Russia ever since I saw my first giant "never ever ever drive in Russia" crash compilation. Now, finally, I have an answer. Yes, it's al-Jazeera, so what? All that means is they make no attempt to hide their bias. Since it's a straightforward fact-finding account that's not about the US, I think they're good.

Posted by scott at 11:52 AM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2012
A Long Time Ago, in a Computer Store Far, Far Away...

A series of snapshots taken in a computer store more than thirty years ago may represent the oldest visual record of Apple's first commercial computer. I remember always wondering, as I'd look at Apple IIe's in various department stores, where the Apple I's all were. Now that I see what they actually look like, I'm not wondering all that much anymore. Home built, indeed.

Posted by scott at 08:27 AM eMail this entry!
November 10, 2012
Only in America

Just when you thought the mishmash of this country had seen every combination possible, something like the Sherpa who speaks Yiddish comes up. Spending a dozen years away from your family must truly suck, but probably not as much as watching them starve trying to eke out a living in the Himalayas.

Posted by scott at 08:06 AM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2012
Nerds on Knees

Personally, I get it. I mean, it's not often you get a photo opportunity like this. The details of the story explicitly state that Stewart wasn't doing his iconic "facepalm" move, but was instead simply distracted briefly. At least he didn't get caught with a finger in his nose or anything.

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
November 05, 2012
Alpine Appearance

A famous sports car most of you have never heard of is being brought back to life. I remember seeing Renault Alpines in sports car review magazines back in the 80s. They were cool then, and they'll undoubtedly be cool now. Likewise, they probably won't officially reach these shores. Ah, well.

Posted by scott at 07:09 AM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2012
Water Water Everywhere

Leave it to a bunch of lunatics on bicycles to record the neatest film of Manhattan flooding I've seen so far. I wonder if the insurance on that Bentley will cover a total loss from flooding? I can't see leaving it there for any other reason.

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
I See You

Spy photos of the upcoming Alfa 4C are starting to surface. The good: looks like the concept has more or less remained intact into production. The bad: STILL no real news as to when it may end up in the US. Oh, this one will be too expensive for us, but it'd be nice to see one driving down the street one day.

Posted by scott at 06:19 AM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2012
Fun with Pumpkins

And now, a fully-functional Tetris game built into a pumpkin. I guess that'd make for some interesting soldering practice, but can't say I'd have that much fun taking it apart after it'd rotted. Maybe a plastic pumpkin would've been a longer-lasting choice?

Posted by scott at 06:26 AM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2012
Zap Bomb

Boeing have announced a new weapon that can zap electronics without touching anything else. The demo seems to indicate it can be targeted at specific buildings, instead of a particular area. It's not clear to me if the damage is permanent, or if everything starts working once the weapon turns off.

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October 22, 2012
Beer Bling

Jeff gets a no-prize that'll be welcome at any Oktoberfest for bringing us news of the latest Great American Beer Festival. Bonus: the winner is brewed somewhere here in Virginia. We might actually have it at our local super-store! Time to take some notes...

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Moses

And we though fostering kittens was bad: Meet the lady who's fostering a baby elephant. The article includes a lot of "squee-inducing" photos. No, Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2012
Coin Find

Another year, another record-breaking Roman coin find in Britain. They occupied a big chunk of Europe for a darned long time. You'd think these things would be at least as common on the continent. Then again, the rules are different, so maybe people are finding them just as frequently elsewhere, and not reporting it.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2012
Move 'em Out

See, if they'd traveled faster it would've been a lot more interesting to watch. Of course, I'm not sure they would've made the turns as cleanly, but that's part of the fun! I bet that neighborhood they drove down had one helluva block party that day.

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
This Modern Life

Passenger jets: great for moving people around, also useful for the occasional rescue effort. The article itself needs another pass by the proofreaders. Bonus: The Air Canada jet had to call home base, who were then able to call back to Australia, to get the rescue started.

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2012
Talented!

I'd completely forgotten European rally racing is routinely held at night. Yeah, I know, they're covered with lights for a reason. I just never really thought it through.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2012
That First Step's a Doozy

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October 11, 2012
Your Thought for the Day

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October 08, 2012
Lost n' Found

A partial Black Adder script thought to have been lost turns out not to have been. I remember hearing about their "too offensive" unproduced Christmas show I can't remember how long ago. It's nice to know at least some of it will see the light of day. And Black Adder as the owner of the inn where Joseph and Mary try to find a place to stay? It would've been epic, I think I can at least say that.

Posted by scott at 05:24 PM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2012
We're Number One!

Some things just deserve to be celebrated: by one (elaborate) metric, the US has the cheapest beer in the world. It'd be interesting to know if the super-cheep generic label BEER you can get in supermarkets artificially depressed the statistic.

Posted by scott at 07:18 AM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2012
Fish Circles

Crop circles? At the bottom of my ocean? It's more likely than you think! Determination and an OCD-like ability to focus can carry you quite a long way.

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2012
Fun with Beetles

Take one RC truck, screw an SLR camera on it, and add a big cover to "lion proof" it, and what do you get? Some really neat pictures! Even though the post is dated February, it looks like they still haven't completed their documentary project. Here's to hoping they finish it soon!

Posted by scott at 06:50 AM eMail this entry!
September 21, 2012
Oooh... Scary...

Nothing like creeping around in basements and staring in dark windows to prep you for the Halloween season. Promise: No shrieking masks or other "boo!" scares, so you can leave the volume at a normal level.

Posted by scott at 02:22 PM eMail this entry!
September 20, 2012
Pebble Glow

Coming to a pavement near you: the ultimate in "eco friendly lighting". Funny, I seem to remember things like this going back to the '70s. Maybe they've got a new formulation? I don't remember those old glow-in-the-dark things lasting all that long.

Posted by scott at 06:02 AM eMail this entry!
September 19, 2012
Sandprint

It turns out elephants sleep laying down. At least, those elephants slept lying down, and now the zoo has (temporary) proof. Ellen probably wishes I slept that still.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
September 18, 2012
Floor Fun

Steve U. gets a no-prize fit for an emperor for bringing us news of the discovery of an "enormous" Roman-era mosaic in southern Turkey. What's not widely understood nowadays is how much closer that part of the world was to Rome back then. It's always important to keep in mind that the Mediterranean was not bisected by religion in this period. It was a bowl, not a folded piece of paper.

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September 17, 2012
Skywalker

And I thought the town I grew up in was remote: a Chinese village of 200 can only be reached by a "rope bridge" over a chasm nearly 1000 feet deep. From the article, it seems like it started out a rope bridge, but now is made of cable. Because that makes it so much safer. Right.

Posted by scott at 06:23 AM eMail this entry!
September 12, 2012
Chrome Fruit

Introducing the world's shiniest fruit, according to a new press release somewhere, at any rate. I think they look like a cross between ball bearings and grapes. Apparently it's an adaptation to the local birds' fascination with shiny objects. Which tells me someone needs to get these things into a jewelry store right away.

Posted by scott at 12:38 PM eMail this entry!
Breakin' da Ice

Russia's at it again, this time with a new, larger, nuclear powered ice breaker. When the majority of the coastline of your country lies above the arctic circle, ice breakers become much more important. Bonus: Commerce, and therefore, life is improving in the area because the ice is retreating.

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
September 11, 2012
My Kind of Purse

The Swedes may have invented it, but leave it to Australia to popularize it: a new style of wine box may see women leaving behind their giant sacks of crap to carry something really important. Yeah, I know, that's not gonna happen, but it's fun to think about it. Oh, and "goon sack?"

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2012
Ceres or Bust

NASA's Dawn probe has departed the asteroid Vesta and is now en route to the dwarf planet Ceres. Ceres was always highlighted on maps of the solar system when I was a kid, so I think it'll be cool to finally get real close-ups of the object. Oh, and am I the only one who wants to fine The Register $500 each time they use the word, "Boffin?"

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
September 05, 2012
A Challenger Appears

Valve has kinda-sorta gone public with its intentions to enter the hardware market. The development cycle for the big 3's consoles seems to have gotten quite relaxed in the past few years. It'd be nice toss in a little competition now and again.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2012
Paging The Police, White Courtesy Phone Please

A new world record has been set with the discovery of the world's oldest message in a bottle. At 98 years old, it beat the previous record holder by five years. Bonus: the ship which discovered that message is also the one that discovered this one. The captain just seems to have a knack for it, I guess.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2012
Help Me, Obi-Wan Kenobi

If the folks at Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity — the spy services’ equivalent of Darpa, an iconic scene from Star Wars may become a reality. It was too cool, and really not all that out-there, to stay fictional forever. Me, I'm still waiting for a light saber, but I'm nerdy that way.

Posted by scott at 01:14 PM eMail this entry!
My Kind of Infomercial

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August 23, 2012
Phones for Fries

It's beginning to look like the only place Olivia's kids will see cash is in a museum. To me, this seems like a golden opportunity for thieves and grifters more than it does a way to convenience customers. Then again, I guess when credit cards were first introduced, people felt the same way about them. Ah, progress.

Posted by scott at 01:05 PM eMail this entry!
August 21, 2012
Hoverbike

Another engineering firm is taking a crack at the hoverbike. I think the thing that ultimately dooms these things is the racket they make. That's a problem that goes back at least to the fifties, which was when the first documentary I saw about them was made. Still, if it's done in a place where noise doesn't matter, then maybe they have potential.

Posted by scott at 03:02 PM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2012
Petman Alive

It's one thing to make a robot walk. It's a whole other thing to make him strut. It looks like they may have even fitted him with leather loafers, or whatever the hell kind of shoe Travolta actually wears in the film. Suits him, I think.

Posted by scott at 11:45 AM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2012
Spinning Memory

IBM may be on the verge of yet another computer performance discontinuity by announcing they've figured out how to harness an electron's spin for use in computer memory chips. The idea is literally in deep-science territory, and they can't even do it at room temperature yet. But that's just engineering, because (they claim) the theory is sound.

Posted by scott at 09:16 AM eMail this entry!
August 09, 2012
Buried Treasure

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Self Portrait

I guess it really does take a dedicated nerd to create the very first self-portrait of the newest mechanical resident of Mars. I think those funny stickers all over it must be some sort of focus targets. I can't think of any brands that use that logo, at any rate. It's a shame someone couldn't figure out how to smuggle a Champion sticker on it or something.

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August 05, 2012
Relatives

If a twelve year-old kid from California is to be believed, every single president, except for one, is related to King John of England. And the odd man out isn't the one you're expecting, either. I have to wonder, though, when the net is cast that wide, how many other run-of-the-mill people are related to ol' "Lackland?"

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
August 04, 2012
A Birthday to Remember

President, shmesident. THIS is a birthday worth mentioning. You'd think that, as successful as the Nurburgring is, Fiat would be more interested in exploiting this facility for profit. Maybe liability laws are different in Italy than they are in Germany?

Posted by scott at 12:45 PM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2012
Fun with Fish

What better way to close out the week than with a collection of hi-res pictures of whale sharks? Fifty feet long, you say? Sounds fishy...

Posted by scott at 01:36 PM eMail this entry!
Karma's a B-

Most of the time people get away with being d-bags to wait staff because only one or two people see it happen. Then there's this guy. One advantage to being a line monkey: I don't have to sign a contract stating I won't embarrass the company any time, anywhere. Him, not so much. Not that I would do something this stupid. I used to BE a drive-through person, a very long time ago. It's not the hardest job in the world, but it's also not the best. Nice to see a total d-k getting what's coming to him.

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2012
Ready, Set, Beep!

This time around we won't be hearing the sound of a starter pistol at Olympic track events because the speed of sound is just too slow. When the stakes are this high, and the results are measured in hundredths of a second, I can understand this.

Posted by scott at 06:09 PM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2012
The Apple of a Transformed Eye

If the rumors are to be believed, Apple fanatics are about to have their heads 'asploded. Again. One of these days, maybe even soon, I guess I'll have to buy one of their products as a sort of electronic lamb's blood to ensure when the Angel of Steve visits everyone's house he'll pass mine by. Or, you know, something.

Posted by scott at 01:25 PM eMail this entry!
July 30, 2012
Capture the Flag

Images from NASA's Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter (LRO) have revealed all but one of the American flags planted on the moon by Apollo astronauts are still standing. Buzz Aldrin stated some time ago that they inadvertently planted Apollo 11's flag too close, and it got knocked over by the blast of their takeoff from the moon. I guess this is all good and expected. After all, if any of the rest had fallen over that would mean they were pushed.

Posted by scott at 10:55 AM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2012
Glass Houses

And in the, "why'd it take this long?" category we have hermit crabs with glass shells. The initial links make it seem like it was a New Zealand university that thought this up, but the only place I found video makes me think someone beat them to the punch by a few years. I would think the critters would be freaked out but apparently they really like being able to see out while safely tucked in their shell. When you're on the lower end of the food chain, it makes sense.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
A Dorm, for the Rest of Us

Yes, yes, the Danes have cool dorms. But that's because it's Denmark, land of the nice and home of the civil. I lived with the hairless chimpanzees that make up around 75% of American college freshmen boys for three years. I'd give a place like this about three years with them before it would need to be completely rebuilt.

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2012
Toothless Old Vamp

What better way to start the second half of the week than with a picture of a for-real vampire skeleton? Well, the villagers certainly thought it was for-real. They used an iron stake and pulled its teeth to prove it.

Posted by scott at 07:55 AM eMail this entry!
July 23, 2012
Glub Glub Glub

Those crafty Canadians are at it again, this time sinking our Navy's ships! Well, ship. And it was a training exercise, and we did, well, actually GIVE them the ship. BUT THAT'S NO EXCUSE! THERE ARE MILLIONS OF CANADIANS MASSED JUST OUTSIDE OUR BORDERS! WAKE UP, SHEEPLE!!!

Posted by scott at 02:19 PM eMail this entry!
First Look

The end is nigh: a car magazine has a "first look" at what Alfa's next big sedan will look like. Since they're targeting BMW, it'll likely be far out of our range. But it is, from the pictures at any rate, a pretty sharp looking piece of kit.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2012
BLAMMO!!!

There's thunderstorms, and then there's thunderstorms so massive they're visible from space, in daylight. Of course, a storm like that won't dump a tree the size of a house onto your car, so I guess it's all relative...

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
Password Hero

A group of scientists has figured out how to teach you a 30-character password without you actually realizing it. The key is a "Guitar Hero-like" game that imparts a kind of muscle memory of the password. I guess it's similar to the mechanism that makes telling someone you PIN number harder than punching the numbers on an actual keypad. Bonus: includes the phrase "rubber-hose cryptanalysis."

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2012
Coffee Car

Those clever Italians are at it again, this time adding a for-real cappuccino machine to their newest line of cars. Unfortunately it doesn't look like it's scheduled for the US. I can't imagine how, but I guess we've got some sort of regulation that the EU doesn't.

Posted by scott at 02:06 PM eMail this entry!
Big Rain

Well, it's cool because it's not coming down on my head, anyway: check out what the most recent set of summer storms looked like in New York. I abandoned a bike ride today because of the dire weather predictions, and now it's not even supposed to start until later tonight. Dammit.

Posted by scott at 11:55 AM eMail this entry!
July 17, 2012
And the Internet Cafe Goes, "BANG BANG BANG"

Knocking over internet cafes is all fun and games until you find one with a fat old white guy and his concealed carry permit in it. Jeff gets a no-prize that'll brook no argument for bringing us a graphic example of just how fast two young punks can run when properly motivated.

Posted by scott at 01:08 PM eMail this entry!
Gettin' Down Wi Da 'Thletes

Every four years there's an Olympics, and every four years the sports press discovers "thars sex in that thar village!" From stories told to me by folks who attended earlier Olympics, it didn't all start in 1992. It was just noticed by the media around that time. At least with this article the girls admit they were having just as much fun as the boys.

Posted by scott at 10:22 AM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2012
Den Shot

Scientists have managed, for the first time, to film a litter of wild snow leopards in their dens in Mongolia. With video! I dunno. In that first clip, mom doesn't look very happy at all. The rest just look like giant versions of what we've been fostering all summer. No, Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 12:37 PM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2012
Party Tricks!

I especially like the ones where they put the candles out. Ellen's already proved the one about the foot and the number six is true.

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2012
Amazon in a Day

Making the rounds: Amazon has stopped fighting its battle with state taxes because it wants to build warehouses everywhere. The goal is apparently to bring *same* day delivery to customers in a profitable way. Will it kill local retail? Probably not, IMO. People still like to go to the mall, especially for fitted items like clothing. Will it put a big ol' ding in it? Absolutely.

Also, the intense pressure to control costs will mean unions will be "right out." If this starts to take off, expect a new wave of union-funded "ZOMG! THE BIG VIRTUAL BOX KILLED MOM AND POP!!!" propaganda a-la Wal Mart. We can't have convenience and low prices if it means unions lose more power, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
July 12, 2012
Duetto Zoom

A few more details on the upcoming Miata/Spider platform have emerged. A 1750 Duetto is, essentially, what's sitting in my garage right now. It'd be pretty nifty to park it next to its progeny, assuming it ever actually arrives. Hey, it'll be rear wheel drive with an Italian motor. I don't care where they make it.

Posted by scott at 12:56 PM eMail this entry!
July 10, 2012
Speedshoe

A French engineer has created what he claims is the world's fastest running shoe using a 3D printer. That's right, folks. The idea is to show up, get your foot measured, and this guy punches a button to print out your shoes. Welcome to the 21st century!

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
Superbus!

I guess you could do worse than a 186 mph bus. What puzzles me is they're pitching it as a long-distance solution, but their choice of an electric drivetrain limits the range to around 150 miles? That, plus a requirement for their own exclusive traffic lanes, would seem to put a ding in profitability. Ah, well. The Arabs have to spend their money on SOMETHING, I suppose.

Posted by scott at 09:31 AM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2012
Your Thought for the Day

Posted by scott at 04:21 PM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2012
Fancy Rice

Damion gets a no-prize that'll rip right past the Road Runner just before it detonates like a hand grenade for bringing us the ultimate street machine. For certain values of street machine. You know, the ones that involve 1000 f'ing horsepower. This being the 21st century, it also includes air conditioning, cup holders, and the ability to idle at a stop light. Ain't technology grand?

Posted by scott at 09:57 AM eMail this entry!
Book Find

A medieval manuscript that's considered a Spanish national treasure has been recovered. The inelegantly but accurately named Santiago de Compostela Codex Calixtinus was found in a garage near the city along with other rare manuscripts also stolen from the cathedral. Together they represent some of the earliest accounts of one of the most famous pilgrimages of the Middle Ages.

Posted by scott at 08:00 AM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2012
Your Thought for the Day

Posted by scott at 03:00 PM eMail this entry!
Serpent's Payment

It's beginning to look like the phrase "turnabout is fair play" isn't always a bad thing. Chrysler keeping Fiat afloat is both an unexpected and pleasant surprise, but I want my new Alfa SUV dammit!!! Ahem. Sorry. Anyway, to paraphrase, the two companies seem to be "little, and broken, but still good."

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
That's MISTER Spud Cannon to You, Bub

Leave it to the Navy to turn the whole "potato cannon" idea up to 11. With video!

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2012
~ Boom Boom Boom / Out Go the Lights!

How bad was last week's super storm? Bad enough to be spotted from space. In the dark. We're very fortunate here to have most, if not all, our power lines underground. Blackouts are rare, and extended ones... well, I can't recall one that lasted more than a few hours. Other places, not so much. Reston Town Center, a gigantic shopping/dining/office complex, was still dark on Sunday (two days later), and for all I know might still be.

Posted by scott at 10:01 AM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2012
Ya Don't Say

Well, I know this has been all over the MSM so I'm just repeating it, but by the way US carbon output forecasts are down. Again. "No cap and trade, no huge new taxes on oil, no draconian driver restrictions, no air conditioning bans, no rationing — and the US is on track to cut its CO2 emissions 17 percent below the 2005 levels by 2020 — and to keep cutting our emissions levels beyond that."

Posted by scott at 11:11 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2012
Nice Truck!

The Alfa SUV project seems to be coming along nicely. They could do a lot worse than a Jeep with a fancy body on it and an Italian motor in it. Here's to hoping it's in our price range!

Posted by scott at 01:06 PM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2012
Box Goes Boom

Title says it all: This is what happens if a box of garbage falls into a volcano lake. Tossing a person in would likely see the same result. What? Oh, like you never watched Gilligan's Island or the second Ice Age movie. See what I did there? You're bound to know at least one of them!

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2012
My Kind of Trailer

Now, we've gone on record as considering "roughing it" to be the lack of a Tivo, but this camping trailer is still pretty nifty. I keep thinking I'll see it in its transformed state as a giant robot next.

Posted by scott at 03:56 PM eMail this entry!
June 25, 2012
Bubble Garage

Folks worrying over how Shuttle prototype Enterprise will weather winters on the Hudson should worry no more. The air-supported domes I've been inside have been dark and pretty loud, but maybe this is a different type. Regardless, it's a temporary solution which (hopefully) will be replaced once a permanent facility has been created. I didn't know they had enough room on Intrepid's deck to fit the thing on it, but there you go.

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2012
Bow Kill

And now, a 300-pound, eight-foot long gar. It was so big they had to shoot the damned thing to kill it.

Posted by scott at 03:10 PM eMail this entry!
June 19, 2012
Fun with Audio

Good: Dolby is premiering a new theater sound system! Bad: It's not in any nearby theater. Curses! Adding a ceiling channel is definitely more realistic than the 40+ channel standard that they're wanting to wedge into the next hi-def TV spec.

Posted by scott at 03:14 PM eMail this entry!
Get it Off!

And now, a dolphin with an octopus attached. So, an over-ambitious snack attack, or an attempt at a free ride gone wrong? You decide!

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2012
I Want to Believe, Contained

Robert H. gets a securely contained no-prize for bringing us The SCP Project, a one-stop community shop which seems to be dedicated to the creation of all things creepy. It's fictional, but it took me rooting around awhile to make sure. It all seems to be protected by the Creative Commons copyright, which I guess is why it hasn't turned into a giant feed trough for Hollywood.

Posted by scott at 12:16 PM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2012
Boat Truck

Well, it's not like you can mail a barge from South Korea to the Netherlands. This ship, or one very like it, was used to ferry USS Cole and (I think) what was left of that Russian sub that torpedoed itself a few years back. They are definitely nifty bits of engineering.

Posted by scott at 10:41 AM eMail this entry!
June 12, 2012
Neat-O-Matic

Life in the 21st century: a Spanish company has created a self-making bed. Looks kinda fiddly to me. I think I'd be worried it'd try to make itself with me still in it during an... enthusiastic... moment. That, and it adds about a hundred new things to break.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
June 11, 2012
Coming Soon

Let the "briefly" jokes begin: Alfa Romeo's new 4c sports coupe should arrive sooner than predicted. It'll still likely be more than we can afford, and certainly more than we have places to put it, but it'd be awfully nice to park my ancient Spider next to one.

Posted by scott at 02:39 PM eMail this entry!
Clang!

Author Neal Stephenson has started a "crowdfunding" project to bring real sword fighting to video games. He's already about 1/5th to his goal, with most of a month left. It's not every day that someone'll give you a sword for funding his start-up.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2012
Rat Miner

The DOD is working with two university professors to see if it's possible to create rat-based mine detectors. The idea is to train them to circle a mine once they've found it. A tiny GPS backpack they're wearing would allow a computer to "spot" the behavior, and therefore the mine. The rats are too light to set the mines off, so they'd be safe. Not sure how they'd collect them after the job was done, I guess you just pick them up from their circling.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
June 07, 2012
~ Proceed to Party / Proceed to Party ~

Lost knowledge rediscovered: the lines on a Solo cup are actually measurement marks. I was always a little suspicious about how a bottle of beer NEARLY overflowed one. But after the third or forth one, I sorta stopped noticing.

Posted by scott at 05:45 PM eMail this entry!
Dragon's Return

SpaceX's recently returned Dragon capsule is now heading for Texas. I wonder why it's only dark on one side like that?

Posted by scott at 02:29 PM eMail this entry!
I See You!

I guess I really should have watched that whole Jubilee thing last weekend. In addition to what seems to have been a good concert, Waldo showed up. Point: he proved that German has a sense of humor. Germans as a whole, well, hell I just remembered they paid for some Monty Python episodes back in the day. They can't be THAT humorless.

Posted by scott at 01:11 PM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2012
Buttons Buttons Buttons!

Coming to a cellphone near you, maybe: a new display technology promises to bring tactile buttons to your touchscreen phone. I've never liked what passes for keyboards on today's touchscreens. I'm far too much of a touch typist. Still, I wonder about price, durability, and just how... well, flexible it really is.

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2012
Mrs. Robinson-san

Bare weeks have gone by since Fiat's announcement that the next Alfa Spider will be based on a Miata, and no official documents have been released. So, the folks at Car and Driver pulled out their WAG machine and posted up something anyway. Just having the power come out the correct end for the first time in nearly twenty years is, for me at least, the real "get" of the deal. I trust the company to get the rest of it right all by themselves.

Posted by scott at 02:10 PM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2012
Reuse, Recycle

Problem: Two obsolete spy satellites need a new job. Solution: spin them 180 degrees and hand the controls to NASA. Yep, the telescope guys just tripled their available 'scope time, with the two new ones representing a real upgrade, for free. Surplus rocks!

Posted by scott at 04:27 PM eMail this entry!
May 31, 2012
Referencing the Future

I'll be making payments on my new laptop for a few years, but those of you mulling over a new system might be interested in what Intel thinks the next "ultrabook" will look like. No, it won't impress the wild-eyed fruit fanatics, but for actual mortals it looks pretty sweet. That said, I'm more fond of a 15" form factor. Maybe that's because I've never spent much time with the smaller fry.

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
May 30, 2012
Dissection

Nothing like sawing a car in half length-wise to get it to give up its secrets!

Posted by scott at 01:32 PM eMail this entry!
May 29, 2012
Clouds of Stone

Problem: monasteries, almost in spite of themselves, usually become rich and are nearly always populated with people professionally useless at defense. Solution: build. I found it staggering when I learned these places, islands... no, time machines.... from the Middle Ages and even earlier still exist and function unchanged in any real way. Even they don't know the treasures which may lurk in their libraries. They've survived this long, and presumably they will continue to do so. A good thing.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
Oooh... Ahh... Pretty...

Alfa's (apparently) re-painted its 4C prototype again and parked it where people could see it. At least it's shiny this time. It'll likely be comparatively cheap but since my income is absolutely not in that league I'll just admire it from afar. If only they'd start bringing them over.

Posted by scott at 08:27 AM eMail this entry!
May 27, 2012
Even (Bottle) Flow

A new substance developed by an MIT PhD candidate may put an end to one of the most annoying tasks to confront a burger-eater. Don't miss the freaky-impressive videos!

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
May 24, 2012
Doggy DNA

Nothing says "slow news day" quite like a brief summary of what the DNA of dogs has told us about their evolution. Then again, they are man's best friend. No, Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 02:15 PM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2012
Para-suit

After years of thought experiments, guesswork, and trials, someone has finally used a wingsuit to successfully jump from an aircraft without using a parachute. He had to land in a ruddy great pile of boxes, but he definitely pulled it off. I wonder what his landing speed actually ended up being?

Posted by scott at 02:20 PM eMail this entry!
Zoom Zoom, Mrs. Robinson

The manufacturer of the world's most successful sports car is teaming with Alfa Romeo to produce the next generation of the iconic Miata. Which will, of course, also underpin the next generation of Alfa's Spider. On the one hand, I'm tickled, since this could bring the high quality and lower price the marque needs to compete against the Huns. On the other, well, Japanese-Alfa teams have historically not done well. It's a new century, so here's to hoping for the best!

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2012
Native Count-Down

Most of Cracked's "6 things we want to be snarky about because we have to justify our journalism degrees somehow. Oh, and bullshit boobies" stories aren't worth all that much. It's when they take a crack at the politically correct version of early US history that some gold can be found. And, you know, the occasional mention of bullshit and boobies. Boobies! (SFW)

Posted by scott at 02:02 PM eMail this entry!
May 15, 2012
Fun with Bookshelves

Desirae H. gets a no-prize that'll definitely make people stare at her book collection for bringing us some pretty nifty book shelf ideas. Beats the hell out of a stack of rectangles. Weirdly, Ellen and I have both gone to a Kindle this year, which has zeroed our "real" book purchases. That said, I've been carrying around some of the books in my library for nearly 30 years. Why not be stylish with them?

Posted by scott at 07:04 PM eMail this entry!
Are You Still. There?

Another entry in the "why'd it take this long" file: a grad student has created a fully-functional Portal gun turret. Complete with the adorably psychopathic voice. Fortunately this one only shoots nerf darts. Cat guard? You betcha!

Posted by scott at 12:58 PM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2012
Hi-Def Downloads!

For once, a development in audiophile-land that doesn't cost as much as a house: a working group of manufacturers and labels has been dedicated to creating an open standard for DSD-over-USB. Why should you care? DSD is the music file format which was always meant to be the successor to CDs. It's what'll allow engineers to create for-real multichannel recordings that you can use with your home theater rig. It's languished on the fringes because it's only available in optical format (SACD).

Nobody but lunatics like me wants a new optical format for music, and so SACD has gone more or less nowhere. However, downloadable music is all the rage and multi-channel is a real "get." And, it almost certainly won't cost an arm and a leg to get something that'll play it. Woot!

Posted by scott at 06:46 PM eMail this entry!
More Than Meets the Eye

It may take 20 (presumably small) servos to operate, but it's still a nifty little piece of kit. Japanese, naturally. Hopefully he'll concentrate more on a convincing walk with the next version. I agree with the TG guys, this one really does look like a wobbly penguin when it walks.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
May 09, 2012
That's Mister "Briefly" To You, Bub

Well why the hell not: Italian coach builder Zagato is rumored to be working on a new Alfa TZ4 road car based on the upcoming Dodge Viper. A big, rip-snorting V10 packed into an Italian package. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
May 07, 2012
Down in a Hole

In Manhattan, even the ends of a subway can be interesting. And, truth be told, beautiful. It's certainly a heck of a lot easier on the eyes than the lump they're building in the middle of the toll road today.

Posted by scott at 06:55 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2012
I Am Ironman

Quite appropriate on the day most folks who're interested will be going to see The Avengers: A new ammo system inspired by the movie Predator is changing the way small Army units are using their crew-served weapons. At least, I think that's what it's about. Anyway, it's got a big belt of ammo coming out of a backpack. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 07:18 AM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2012
Snakebit

Not sure how it got past us last month, but anyway get a load of the 2013 Dodge Viper! What was once a sledgehammer of a car now sports actual anti-lock brakes, as well as other stability enhancements. As far as I can tell, little if anything comes from parent company Fiat. Well, except perhaps for some civilizing tendencies.

Posted by scott at 06:16 AM eMail this entry!
May 03, 2012
LaserNet

Taiwanese researchers have created a gigabit-class network using simple pointing lasers. While the article does a nice job of summarizing why this is neat, it misses what I think is a pretty obvious point: a laser network would be a form of wireless nearly impossible to eavesdrop on. Maybe I just read too many Tom Clancy novels, or something?

Posted by scott at 02:16 PM eMail this entry!
Hog Phone Home

The owner of the Harley Davidson motorcycle that was washed out to sea in its storage container during the tsunami in Japan last year has been found. The factory has already agreed to restore the bike and return it to the owner free of charge. No, it won't bring back his three family members, but it definitely is something. That was one crazy voyage!

Posted by scott at 12:11 PM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2012
Think of it as a Handyman in a Dress

With gas prices as high as they are, and alternative "dual clutch" transmissions still commanding a premium, I can't say I'm surprised manual trannies are making a comeback. See what I did there? Ha! Anyway, I've owned a car with a stick shift since 1988, so I'm fine with this.

Posted by scott at 07:45 AM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2012
Those Wacky Italians

Another day, another genuinely bizarre concept car from an Italian design house. Built on an Alfa platform, natch. Something you can always count on is Italian designs setting trends that echo throughout automotive styling (remember the Testa Rossa's giant strakes?), but I just can't see what, or how, that jalopy will set a trend. But I've been wrong before.

Posted by scott at 08:48 AM eMail this entry!
Quick! To Craigslist!

Yours, cheap: a Navy contractor is looking to sell an innovative prototype stealth ship. That thing must've spawned half a dozen documentaries back in the 90s. Seems a bit of a shame it's going to be turned into razor blades, but them's the breaks, sometimes.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
April 25, 2012
Dress Time

Now this sort of recycling I can support: a young lady is using all sorts of off-beat materials to make prom dresses. Article includes "the best things in life are illegal" picture goodness, too! Totally SFW.

Posted by scott at 01:19 PM eMail this entry!
April 24, 2012
~ Showing the Future, the Past ~

I recognize where she's been, and I'm a little scared about how fast she's going: a dad videotaped his daughter once a week for twelve years, and then knitted together one heckuva time-lapse film.

Posted by scott at 03:24 PM eMail this entry!
April 23, 2012
On The Way

I thought that annoyed guy with a pitchfork, horns, and a parka with snow on it looked familiar... Alfa seems to be definitely-for-real-not-kidding-this-time on its way to the US. I'm not all that surprised. All those folks who built free-standing Fiat dealerships weren't doing so because the 500 would be such a money maker. The 500 was the wedge car, but Alfa will be where the money is.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
April 12, 2012
Soopah Yacht

Pop quiz: boat, or starship? Looks very Enterprise-y to me, especially from the front. It doesn't really look like it could fit fifteen people comfortably. Must be bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
Naked Vacuum

Sometimes, just sometimes, Texas can have a brilliant idea. Ok, probably not original to them, since I vaguely recall reading about something like this a few years ago. Still, I think the deal breaker would be... call it the selection. In other words, this isn't exactly a service I'd want from, say, Alice.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2012
Big Pooch

The world's largest dog has been declared, a 230 pound great dane in Tuscon, Arizona. Unfortunately the big ones don't really last all that long, although George himself seems to be in good health. Ellen gives him another 1-2 years, while I think he's got 2-4. Good luck to them, anyway!

Posted by scott at 06:19 AM eMail this entry!
April 09, 2012
Step By Step

The quest for the most complex Rube Goldberg machine has been completed. With video! These guys get to win because the folks at NASA get to build these kinds of things and then fling them off into space.

Posted by scott at 03:24 PM eMail this entry!
Fancy Slipper

Every time I think I know about every Alfa ever made someone goes and finds a new one. That one reminds me a LOT of that new "shooting brake" Ferrari. Even Italians occasionally repeat themselves, it would seem. We had a lot of Canadians come down for the last national club meet I went to, but I didn't see that silver one anywhere.

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
Get 'em Out Alive

Looks like absolutely nobody got killed when that F-18 parked itself in an apartment complex in VA Beach. I still think when it's all said and done that it'll end up being the fault of the jet trying to inhale a couple of large birds.

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
April 07, 2012
The Best a Spaceship Can Be... Briefly

Fans of steam punk and/or a certain cross-and-serpent should find this one-off vehicle worth a look. I'd read before that it was really hot to drive in, but I didn't understand this was because they'd actually enclosed the motor in the cockpit. Me, I'd be at least as worried about CO poisoning. True, compression was low and gasoline weak in those days, but it's not like they were concerned with emissions equipment.

Posted by scott at 08:05 AM eMail this entry!
April 04, 2012
Down in a Hole

Steve U. will find out that In Soviet Russia, No-Prize Finds You for bringing us this look deep inside one of the USSR's most secret naval facilities. I'm not sure if that's a real submarine sitting on a pylon, or some sort of model. The scale is too weird for me to really figure out.

Posted by scott at 03:57 PM eMail this entry!
The Letter

"Dear Aunt Em: Hate you, hate Texas, took the dog, Love, Dorothy." I guess that, having no good trailer parks available, it decided to knock over a tractor-trailer park. Silly storm!

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
April 03, 2012
Rescue Bear

So, tell me if you've heard this one before: a man, a bear, and a cougar are walking through the woods... Actually, I think an equally likely story is mamma bear got startled by the mountain lion and did what startled mamma bears naturally do. In other words, if that'd been a deer (and the attack wasn't immediately fatal) the outcome would've essentially been the same. But, hey, I wasn't there, and if the old man thinks that bear decided to help him, I'm not going to contradict him.

Posted by scott at 11:48 AM eMail this entry!
April 02, 2012
~ Let's Fly Let's Fly Away ~

If the press release is to be believed, a flying car may be in your future. And I do mean press release... I guess it's called "PR Newswire" for a reason. No pictures and no word on how much it might cost, either. The FAA has a much lower-cost pilot's license for sports flyers, and that may be what it'll use. Me, I just think about what the Toll Road would be like if all those cabbies and soccer moms could fly, and I shudder a bit.

Posted by scott at 12:06 PM eMail this entry!
Enthouse

Never underestimate the power of one kook: a man in Tennessee has single-handled built what is likely to be the world's tallest tree house. It's not clear from the article if it has all the amenities. I suspect not, otherwise he'd have to conform to who knows how many building codes. But I've been wrong about this sort of thing before.

Posted by scott at 06:22 AM eMail this entry!
April 01, 2012
A Very Hippo Squee!!

Adorable Harry the hippopotamus is no stick-in-the-mud when it comes to making friends with humans.

The six-day-old pygmy hippo calf is filling the time of his doting carers after being rejected by his mother at birth.

The 11lb baby was born last Thursday at a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa and requires round-the-clock care.

My head exploded with candy when I saw the pictures.
Posted by Ellen at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
March 30, 2012
Caped Crusader Time

The "Route 29 Batman" is just your garden variety eccentric. Because crazy people are poor, and rich people are eccentric. Bah. His money, his choices. And, since he's visiting children's hospitals, I even support whatever tax write-offs he may make. I do wonder if DC/Marvel might come after him, but the rules for non-profit use of things can be different. Heck, with his money, he may have actually licensed it all. That's what I'd do.

Posted by scott at 09:34 AM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2012
Lost and Found

The founder of online giant Amazon broke off a few million bucks recently and figured out where Apollo 11's first stage ended up. It's not known what condition they're in, especially after sitting under about three miles of ocean for forty years. Unlike the Shuttle's SRBs, this thing followed a ballistic trajectory and hit the water hard. There may not be all that much left.

Posted by scott at 10:56 AM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2012
Fast Cool

Because it's my website, that's why: a brief look at how the F-1 drivers stay cool in the insane heat and humidity of Malaysia. Being a Southerner means I'm more than casual student of keeping cool, to the point I still occasionally amaze myself by owning a car without air conditioning. I can't imagine driving the Spider for two hours with the top down in high summer wearing all the gear they wear, let alone doing it at maximum speed. Salut!

Posted by scott at 02:25 PM eMail this entry!
Bottoming Out

Good news: someone has visited the bottom of Challenger Deep, only the second time in history. Bad news: he came back. Actually, that's not really fair. I've always liked Cameron's movies despite his reputation as a brass-plated butt-head. Congratulations to him and can't wait to see the movie!

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2012
~ Hello Darkness My Old Friend ~

So, how many of these "20 iconic tech sounds" do you remember? The Windows Serenade was downright startling. Each one immediately yanked me back to different dark days in my sysadmin life. And I'm not too sure how many of these will fade outright. One of Olivia's shows uses the modem song as part of its studio logo.

Posted by scott at 03:04 PM eMail this entry!
March 20, 2012
Peabody Blog

The Ducks have their own blog!

Posted by Ellen at 08:08 PM eMail this entry!
Ghost Towns

People who think ghost towns are the exclusive domain of the Old West will be happy to know they're actually all over the damned place. Yes, most of them are the direct result of the 2008 real estate bust, but not all of them. The Chernobyl site in particular has been used as a setting in more than one video game I've played.

Posted by scott at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
Diver Down

Everyone's (well, my) favorite movie maniac is set to visit Challenger Deep in a submarine of his own design. This'll be the first time a person has been down that far since 1960, and will smash the record they set for time on the bottom. He's finally providing details of the craft, as well as a few pictures.

Posted by scott at 09:57 AM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2012
Ooh... Ahh... Pretty...

For a good look at how far out there turntables can get, check this out. The author does include a comparatively affordable option... the turntable at the bottom of the list can be had for a little more than $2k. Hey, I said comparatively, after all. But I will concede the designs are nifty. How they all make a living selling these things I never will know.

Posted by scott at 10:33 AM eMail this entry!
March 17, 2012
Fun with Maps

It's said if you take enough pictures you'll eventually catch the weirdest things on film. Ever thought just how many pictures Google takes every day? What's with the people parking passenger jets in their back yard, anyway?

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
March 16, 2012
Fun with Lights

Posted by scott at 12:36 PM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2012
Fun with Cars

This was what Olivia and I did a few weeks back when we attended the DC car show. It was a lot of fun. The girl who drove us around is featured VERY briefly, right at 0:42.

Posted by scott at 12:32 PM eMail this entry!
See Me

The folks over at DARPA are at it again, this time trying to figure out if it's possible to build a system that'll take a picture of a soldier standing anywhere on the Earth, from space, and send it to his iPhone in less than 90 minutes. I'll give them this, when they say "think big" they're not kidding. I would imagine the satellites would be straightforward enough. It's the launchers that I figure might be the expensive link in the chain.

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
March 14, 2012
Virtual Zoom-Zoom

The folks at Top Gear have found the world's most awesome simulator ride. Reading the comments, though, seems to indicate the same experience can be had at Dubai for about 1/10th the price. Of course, you have to drag your butt all the way to Dubai, so maybe it evens out.

Posted by scott at 12:51 PM eMail this entry!
Indy Zoom-Zoom

Dreamworks Animation has announced an upcoming movie who's main character dreams of racing in the Indy 500. Indycar has been struggling ever since Tony took his ball and went home back in the 90s. The reunion of the two leagues has helped, but it's not clear by how much. Hopefully the movie won't stink!

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2012
Your Private Victorian Dancer

So, if all of us Americans are fatties who need to lay off the sammiches, how do we explain this? Of course, it's still in America, just the 1890s instead of the 2010s. They all look pretty short, too. And check out those corsets... I think the fainting couches must've been just off camera. (SFW)

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
Lost and Found

A giant mural by none other than Leonardo DaVinci, long thought to have been destroyed centuries ago during a renovation, may have been found. More detail is here. Italy literally has masterpieces hiding other masterpieces. Embarrassment of riches, indeed.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
March 12, 2012
Mark Your Calendars

Top Gear's latest season, along with Richard Hammond's new (and apparently well-regarded) series will premiere on BBC America April 16. Maybe by then Fios will have the dratted channel in HD. People've only been asking for it for a few YEARS. Ah, well. It'll still be funny!

Posted by scott at 06:04 PM eMail this entry!
Score. A Direct Hit.

Mike J. gets a no-prize that'll really screw up a fireworks display for bringing us a few videos of the IDF taking some of Hajji's toys away from him. No gore or bodies (that I could see anyway), just good ol' fashioned 'asplosions. If it ruins a terrorist's day, I'm all for it.

Posted by scott at 02:14 PM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2012
Fun with Rockets

There's the rockets we use during our annual Thanksgiving festivities, and there's the rockets that can go all the way to 120,000 feet. Hey, it's his money, why not build giant rockets with it?

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2012
Kara

For proof that we've come one helluva long way from Mario Brothers, witness Kara is Self Aware, a short film intended to be a demonstration of the new capabilities the latest motion capture technologies can bring to video games. And, of course, the power of the consoles themselves, which it should be pointed out will be replaced soon enough by the next generation.

It's also a really nifty story, one that should be fleshed out (as it were), if it's not already being finished.

Posted by scott at 12:36 PM eMail this entry!
March 07, 2012
Speaking of Pretty...

The Disco Volante re-visit is now available for viewing. Supposedly it's for sale, but no price was mentioned. I'm thinking the kind of people who can afford it are the kind of people who don't need to ask.

Posted by scott at 02:01 PM eMail this entry!
Invisi-Car

While far from a perfect cloaking device, Mercedes' latest publicity stunt is still fun to look at. The views when it's stationary, and at a distance, are pretty impressive. However, I can't help but think conventional camouflage would achieve the same effect at a far lower, electricity-free, price. Who knows where this'll be in ten years?

Posted by scott at 06:22 AM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2012
Spooky Cheetah

Jeff gets a no-prize that'll help him welcome our new robot overlords for bringing us this look at a record-setting robotic cheetah. I think I'd be more comfortable with it if they'd just put a head on it. At any rate, right now they're sort of cheating by using external power but a free-running version is supposed to be in the wings.

Posted by scott at 08:59 AM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2012
That's Mister Ridiculous Italian Car to You, Bub

For proof of just how whacky Italian auto sports can get, witness a re-engined Fiat X1/9 doing a hill climb in Naples. It's got some ludicrous motorcycle drivetrain installed in it, that's why the shift changes pop by so quickly. They also (finally) seem to have taken spectator safety at least a little into account, because I don't seem to see quite as many of them standing at the apex of the corners. Makes a nifty noise, I'll give it that.

Posted by scott at 02:14 PM eMail this entry!
Ooh... Ahh... Pretty...

An iconic design house is revisiting one of its own iconic designs. Go for the pretty pictures, stay for the Google-ish translation of the text. The gist is true, though. It seems the 8C was released with significant... features... in its rear suspension that make it more than a little challenging to drive quickly.

Posted by scott at 06:50 AM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2012
A Challenger Appears

So, will your next game console be a Gen-X device from the big three, or will it be something else? Making a platform completely open tends to attract developers. Microsoft's architecture is such that any Xbox game can be ported to the PC with little or no modifications, something that literally saved PC gaming a few years ago. So, it has potential, and a library of popular titles ready for the taking. Remains to be seen if it goes anywhere.

Posted by scott at 07:28 AM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2012
Exponential Cuteness

Ever wonder what head exploding with candy would actually sound like? I just need to make sure Ron and I have recorders handy when our respective spouses see this. And, natch, you're welcome. No, Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 03:04 PM eMail this entry!
Play It Again, Bot

Steve U. gets a no-prize shaped like a music box for bringing us a fine example of useful robotics. Tiny helicopters, a synthesizer, and an electric guitar. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 12:49 PM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2012
Fun with Scales

Mike J. gets a no-prize that can grow or shrink to the edges of possibility for bringing us this nifty comparison scale for things smaller than an atom to things bigger than a galaxy. I think we may have linked it before, but it's neat and it's our website so have fun with it all over again. I did.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
February 29, 2012
Some Say He Travels in Time

Check out who's going to be in the new season of Top Gear. That'll be at least two actors who've played the Doctor featured now, think. I would really love for Fios to get BBC America in HD before the new season is broadcast here, but they seem to be more interested in adding foreign language channels. Pity.

Posted by scott at 11:59 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2012
Easy? You Call That Easy?

I guess that, as far as explanations on how encryption actually works, this analogy using paint and clocks is pretty good. My head more or less 'asploded when they got to the modulus math part, but I think I got the gist. The problem with nerds (and I most definitely have this problem) is they're so excited to tell you how something works they tend to neglect to tell you how to get it to work.

In other words, great, it's awesome how nifty public/private key encryption works. Now what's the easiest way to convey my plans for world domination to my worldwide network of minions in a way that will keep Smokey off my trail? And, wouldn't it have been easier for you to just say "use this!" and hand me a disk? Yes. Disks. There aren't any disks? Wait, when did 3.5" floppies go out of style?

Oh, great. Next you're going to tell me Apple is still in business.

Posted by scott at 01:11 PM eMail this entry!
People of War

The Atlantic has made part 2 of its Civil War photograph collection available online. This batch includes high-resolution examples of many favorite portraits, as well as an example of Brady's famous battlefield photos sharp enough to actually see what the fuss was all about.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2012
Toy Horse

It's one thing to learn that horses used to be really small, and see paintings of them scampering across a generic savannah. It's a bit different when a really good artist paints one next to one of his all-grown-up descendants. Fortunately, all these micro-horses died off eons ago, so I don't have to worry about Ellen getting one.

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
I WANT TO BELIEVE

Suddenly that whole "cloud mistaken for a UFO" thing is making more sense. That said, at least they're not claiming it's anything but a cloud. Me, I'm surprised someone didn't claim to have seen Jesus in it.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
February 23, 2012
Places of War

What better way to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War than an extensive collection of rarely published photographs. Well, rarely published as far as I know. I'd never seen most of them before, and hey that's all that counts!

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
February 18, 2012
PYTHON!

A couple of enterprising Australians are supplying an innovative and effective tool in the hunt for pythons in the Everglades. I'll bet they had to get six dozen permits from a half dozen federal agencies before they were allowed to set foot in the place, otherwise all the local rednecks would've figured this out a long time ago.

Posted by scott at 07:55 AM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2012
Before & After

Not quite one year after the massive earthquakes in Japan, evidence seems to be showing recovery is proceeding apace. They're Japanese. Of COURSE they're going to clean the place up first. Scrubbed to sparkling, even the abandoned lots.

Posted by scott at 09:39 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2012
Bunny Jumpin'

New to the UK: a cheap steeple chase with a tasty participant. Well, tasty for other folks. I'm not in the habit of eating rodents, but knock yourself out. Run, Rabbit! Run!

Posted by scott at 07:36 AM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2012
Lawn Dart

A Pantera-based convertible replica of an Alfa-based hard-topped show car which set design trends that'd influence most of the sports cars built in the 70s is now for sale. Like most Italian cars, you'll either love it or hate it, but you'll never look at it and go, "meh."

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
Tivo Time

DirecTV users now have the option of a Tivo DVR. It's about time! Still, people seem to be willing to put up with genuinely hard to use DVRs, so I'm not sure just how well this will do. Word of mouth, people: the Tivo DVR is still around because it's better than anything else out there, by far. Give it a try!

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2012
Skinny Cables

Just because I don't need one doesn't mean it's not needed: a new super-thin HDMI cable makes 60 foot runs practical. Even better: the cable's not made by boutique Moster, but super-thrifty Monoprice, the producers of the $3.95 cables I know and love. In other words, you won't need a second mortgage to buy one.

Posted by scott at 12:23 PM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2012
Oooh... Ahh... Pretty...

Now that they are at least notionally getting closer to our shores, US reviews of new Alfa products are starting to show up. Reviews of the Guilietta are particularly relevant, since the upcoming Dodge Dart is heavily based on the Alfa's design. I'd still like to see "Cross-and-Serpent, actual" in US showrooms. Will their long-proposed small SUV premiere before our Hyundai smashes into something again? Will I be able to keep Ellen out of a Fiat 500 before then? We'll just have to see...

Posted by scott at 10:36 AM eMail this entry!
Geronimo!!!

A new attempt to break a skydiving record more than half a century old is on schedule again. Professional skydiver Felix Baumgartner was scheduled to make the attempt last year, but was foiled when a different daredevil sued to stop the show. That's now been cleared, and so has he.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
February 05, 2012
Old Sound II

The folks at FirstSounds are at it again, this time recovering a bin of cylinder recordings which include none other than von Moltke and Bismark himself. I like my 19th century historical figures the way I like my newspapers-- black and white, static, and silent. Having them start to make noise is... disconcerting.

Posted by scott at 09:54 AM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2012
Ski Australia

Leave it to the Aussies to figure out how to tow 145 water skiers behind a boat. A really big boat. With video! Judging by how slowly it pulled them up, I'm surprised more of them didn't fall off.

Posted by scott at 06:22 AM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2012
Copycat

The recent restoration of what is probably the oldest known copy of the Mona Lisa is revealing new details about the original. Since the original is so fragile, no serious attempts at restoration have been made with modern materials. The copy, held at Madrid's Prado Museum, was long thought to be much later. However, examinations made in preparation of the restoration revealed evidence that it may have been created at the same time as the original, in the same shop by a student of Leonardo.

Posted by scott at 12:56 PM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2012
Stay On Target

Up next: self-guided bullets. This time they promise they'll work, and have the picture to prove it. Turning sniping into a team sport never has been so easy, and nothing tells the bad guy "I love you" more than having one guy you don't see designate you as a target for a different guy you can't see.

Posted by scott at 02:28 PM eMail this entry!
Stars Flying By

While not as well known as their larger 8-cylinder brothers, the 6-cylinder Alfa Romeos could be every bit as striking. It's actually pretty rare to find, well, any pre-war Italian car that's not either red or black. As this gorgeous white example shows, that's a shame.

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
January 27, 2012
Finally, a Practical Use

Scientists have discovered that, in addition to a whole host of other nifty abilities, graphene makes a really swell still. From the sound of it, all you'd really need was what needed distilling, and some heat. The membrane does the rest. Sweet!

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2012
Your Thought for the Day

Yes. Yes, it is.

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2012
Whee!!!

And now, some wacko hooning around in the snow driving a really interesting car. Ours gets put up and stays up whenever there's a wiff of snow in the air, mainly because VDOT thinks nothing of turning all the roads into margarita glass rims any time a weatherman says "snow."

Posted by scott at 07:03 AM eMail this entry!
January 22, 2012
Rice Cake Madness

Don't stop watching the video! The end is the best part!

Posted by Ellen at 06:18 PM eMail this entry!
January 20, 2012
Fly Away

The world's longest flights are getting longer and more popular. For nearly ten grand, it better be f'ing comfortable. And, really, just how often does someone need to fly from Sydney to Dallas anyway?

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
Fish Fun

And now, 3D paintings of goldfish. I had to watch the video to convince myself some wacko hadn't poured resin on a bunch of actual fish. Boy's got talent!

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2012
AAIIEEEEYAAA!!!!

Those of you who think conventional motorsports is a little wacky really need to take a closer look at rallying. Note also how close the spectators are, and how unprotected. The European rally scene builds and builds in excitement and interest until one of the cars plows through a crowd of spectators and kills a couple of them. Then the sanctioning bodies ban the whole thing forever and ever, for about three years. Then the cycle starts again. I've seen it happen I think at least four times now.

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2012
Stack the Game

Spread the word: Someone's come up with a neat, free, polite, and even fun way to help prevent cell phones from ruining your dinner date. Being married to someone who actually gasps at the idea of not checking Facebook every seven minutes, this probably won't fly well at my house. But it might at yours! In other words, I can't save myself, but I might be able to save you...

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2012
Tales of Past Futures

I guess if you cast around for one long enough, you'll find someone who makes the correct predictions. Broken clock phenomena, that sort of thing. Nice to see they also listed things the guy got wrong, although to tell the truth I could do without "Q".

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2012
Lego Bridge

It turns out that, if conditions are right, all you really need to install a bridge is the right pieces and some dish soap. I was wondering about some of these new bridge replacement projects I'd been reading about around the country. They did seem to be happening pretty darned fast.

Posted by scott at 03:31 PM eMail this entry!
"Peaking" Under The Sea

Another day, another massive oil deposit discovered in the Barents Sea. Of course, since this is Ethical Oil, I'm expecting all our green friends to appreciate how we'll be supporting an environmentally conscious, labor-friendly, well-regulated ally. Stop laughing so hard, I'm trying to keep a straight face here!

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
January 10, 2012
Virtual Beauty

And now, a 3D panorama of the Sistine Chapel. One of the history-nerd highs I get watching The Borgias is they (seem to be) accurately modeling the pre-Renaissance Vatican, including old St. Peter's and the what the Sistine looked like before Michelangelo got his hands on it. It provides a real contrast.

Posted by scott at 02:34 PM eMail this entry!
January 06, 2012
I Wonder if It Smells Like Vindaloo

India is joining the ranks of countries that make wacky looking performance cars. Since this is India, it looks stranger than most, is cheaper and lighter, and not really all that fast. If the radio suddenly locks onto hyper-cheerful music and dozens of extras rush out into the intersection on cue while I'm driving it, the experience will be complete.

Posted by scott at 02:29 PM eMail this entry!
I Heard You Missed Us. We're Back!

Making the rounds: a very nearly reconstituted Van Halen is getting ready to hit the road. Bass player Mike Anthony was an unacknowledged but important part of their sound not just for his instrument, but for his backing vocals as well. Still, even though the band may sound different, it seems they still sound good.

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
January 04, 2012
Such a Terrible Thing

If Newsweek is to be believed, and that's one helluva big "if," Al Qaeda is on the ropes. An accurate report, or a press release from the Obama 2012 campaign? Newsweek is deeper in that campaign's pocket than most, true, but I'd like to believe this one. Hope springs eternal, even when the Dems are in charge. Oh, and, per usual, it would seem diplomatic pressure has actually caused the US to stop what appears to be a real and effective tool in the war on terror. Whee!

Posted by scott at 02:36 PM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2012
Buggies Repaired Here

The advent of the automobile was bad news for wagon repair shops, but I'll wager to this day there are some still out there, somewhere. Same thing goes for typewriters. Unfortunately it's pretty clear this guy won't be around all that much longer.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
January 02, 2012
Mah Future Home, Let Me Show U It

Regular readers will likely have come across one of many references to a "yurt," mostly as a future abode when Olivia's teenage "always right" skids broadside into Ellen's well-established "never wrong." Now I can figure out how to make them! The thing is, I'm pretty sure our HOA has a clause in it somewhere that prevents dad's from building emergency shelters in the front yard. Dangit.

Posted by scott at 05:09 PM eMail this entry!
December 30, 2011
Goin' Mobile

Two small South Pacific nations have loaded up a particular sort of U-haul van. "Moves entire country" sounds a lot more interesting than "changed the clocks and the calendars," but the MSM in particular seems fascinated when people decide to change simple notions they consider absolute realities.

Posted by scott at 07:16 AM eMail this entry!
December 28, 2011
Adios, Subsidies!

Par for the course: by doing nothing, Congress does something good. Ending ethanol subsidies and tariffs will likely reduce the cost of fuels for everyone. Add in the growing capacity of alternative oil extraction, and we may yet return to the days of $1.50/gal fuel.

Posted by scott at 09:55 AM eMail this entry!
December 22, 2011
Your Thought for the Day

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Posted by scott at 12:11 PM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2011
You'd Think They'd Make a Strap for That, or Something

A woman who's repeated miscarriages were apparently the result of the fetus literally falling out has successfully carried a pregnancy to term. I'm very happy for them, but that's definitely got to rank right up there in the, "exactly what went wrong?" list.

Posted by scott at 01:58 PM eMail this entry!
December 16, 2011
Small Can be Good

The world's shortest teenaged girl is now the world's shortest woman. No, no, you sicko, not like that. She just turned 18. Ah, geeze, someone go get the smelling salts. I think Ron and Mark are going to pass out from all that giggling.

Posted by scott at 10:36 AM eMail this entry!
December 14, 2011
IPadding to a New Day

That swirling sound you're hearing is the start of the rumor mill for the next version of the iPad. I still can't see paying so much money for it, but I've always felt that way about Apple's products. Other friends of mine are positively fanatical about the things. All I can say is, out with the old, in with the new!

Posted by scott at 02:45 PM eMail this entry!
We're #2! We're #2!

I dunno, having one of our favorite cars picked as the second "hottest" car of all time is pretty snazzy. So is having one like we actually own also in the list. Don't worry, there's plenty of love to go around. I'm sure one car or another you love will be in there somewhere. There will also be quite a few missing, but that's the nature of lists. And boy, do they love TVR, or what?

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
December 13, 2011
Shaking Perspective

Nothing like a good, simple, visual representation to put just how powerful an earthquake can get in perspective. I was a little disappointed to see our DC-area earthquake fade into the distance, until I remembered what Japan looked, hell LOOKS, like after their recent "big one." I'll take a small earthquake every time, thank you.

Oh, and remind me to avoid Sumatra.

Posted by scott at 10:03 AM eMail this entry!
Rollin' Along

Aussies take note: the world's oldest Alfa Romeo is going to be driving through Tasmania. Since my grasp of Australian geography can be be termed, "it's somewhere on the other side of the planet, yes?" you will have to work out just how far away that is from you on your own. In other news, the world's oldest Alfa Romeo is kept in... New Zealand. Never saw that coming.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2011
Magic Math

The Wall Street Journal has a glowing review of Magical Mathematics, a book which examines the relationship between card tricks and mathematics. Turns out it's a lot closer than you'd think. The book also, apparently, provides illustrated examples of the various tricks discussed. Time to break out the deck!

Posted by scott at 03:02 PM eMail this entry!
December 09, 2011
Toy Time

First comes the Daily Mail's look at what was in UK Christmas catalogs in 1976, which was good. But the FARK comment thread is even better. I had no idea most FARKers (who comment, at any rate) are roughly my age, as I recognize nearly everything in those pictures. Some of them I hadn't thought of in years. I actually own a few Flying Aces items, they were uber-cheap on Ebay in the 90s. The Vertibird is why I got into RC flying.

Posted by scott at 02:13 PM eMail this entry!
Bunk Plane

International and other long-haul fliers take note: for the first time in decades, an airliner has created something to increase passenger comfort in coach. It's not exactly free, but nothing ever really is. My only problem would be that there are three of us, and that bit of space probably won't fit three, especially when the smallest enjoys sleeping sideways.

Posted by scott at 10:36 AM eMail this entry!
December 08, 2011
Surf the Gym

Exercise bikes not your cup of tea? Treadmills boring? Don't care how good you'll look in your "summer dress?" Try surfing! Yes, you heard me, surfing! Will this be Suzanne's next exercise craze? Will Kevin actually be murdered by a workout machine? Will Amber have a new thing to fall off of? Only time will tell!

Posted by scott at 08:40 AM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2011
Next Up: Speeder Bikes

For the motorcyclist in your life who needs to get his nerd on in traffic: functional Storm Trooper leathers. The helmets aren't DOT rated, but it appears everything else is. I didn't bother trying to find out how much it might cost.

Posted by scott at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
December 05, 2011
Tiny Terror II

Problem: drones are too small to carry current bombs. Solution: Smaller bombs. Duh. Precision guidance means never having to say your sorry. Personally, considering how accurate these things are getting nowadays, I'm a little surprised they haven't thought about dropping guided lumps of cast iron. No explosion, no collateral damage, no problem!

Posted by scott at 03:58 PM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2011
A Digital Christmas

Posted by Ellen at 07:07 PM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2011
New York Noir

I guess it's not surprising a brilliant film-maker can also be a great photographer. Kubrick would've been, what, late teens, early twenties at that point? I have a feeling a few of them may not have been as spontaneous as the rest seem.

Posted by scott at 01:56 PM eMail this entry!
December 01, 2011
Texas Quick

It seems the Bugatti Veyron has a challenger. I honestly didn't think it was possible for such a boutique manufacturer to survive in the US, let alone in the regulatory environment to be found in Obama's US. It's nice to see I'm wrong.

Posted by scott at 11:42 AM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2011
~ All I Want for Christmas is a Min-ee-gun ~

Leave it to a British paper to get all twitterpated over a US gun club promotion involving Santa Clause. It's not like they're trying to blow him away with AAA or anything. Although a Bofors 40mm would be pretty sweet as a lawn ornament, if you ask me.

Posted by scott at 08:26 AM eMail this entry!
November 29, 2011
Squishbot

The boys over at Harvard University's robotics program are at it again, this time creating a starfish-like "soft" robot. The pneumatically-powered device is made of elastic polymers which allow it a much wider range of movement than a more conventional rigid model.

Posted by scott at 06:22 AM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2011
Wolves in the Night

Personally, I'm just fine with native American trackers stalking smugglers in the night. I just wish they were able to, you know, finish the kill. Then again, that'd probably raise the stakes too high. Meh, give 'em what they need to do the job. That'll be enough.

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2011
Critterbots

Engineers at Harvard University have teamed with a Swiss robot manufacturer to create simple, cheap robots which can communicate and demonstrate basic behaviors. The ultimate goal is to create devices which can do things like dig to find earthquake survivors, or even shore up buildings which are threatening to collapse. Pretty good for a critter not much bigger than a quarter.

Posted by scott at 11:45 AM eMail this entry!
Under The Lake

Across the state, receding lakes have revealed a prehistoric skull, ancient tools, fossils and a small cemetery that appears to contain the graves of freed slaves. Some of the discoveries have attracted interest from local historians, and looters also have scavenged for pieces of history. More than two dozen looters have been arrested at one site.

"In an odd way, this drought has provided an opportunity to view and document, where appropriate, some of these finds and understand what they consist of," said Pat Mercado-Allinger, the Texas Historical Commission's archeological division director. "Most people in Texas probably didn't realize what was under these lakes."

Read the entire here.

Don't forget to read the comments! Sometimes those are laugh out loud funny!

A very dry No-Prize goes out to Suzanne for the link!

Posted by Ellen at 05:15 AM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2011
He Likes to Move-It Move-It

Posted by scott at 06:40 PM eMail this entry!
Trooper Time

And now, carbon fiber Storm Troopers. Price is only quoted as roughly the same as "a nice car," which I'm taking to mean north of $20,000. When I was a kid I desperately wanted one of these things, but even back in the 70s the price for the helmet was something like $150 or more. And these are the bad guys, people! It doesn't matter how cool they look, you're supposed to boo them!

Posted by scott at 02:47 PM eMail this entry!
November 17, 2011
Big Boom

The Air Force has officially taken delivery of its first production bunker-busters. I seem to recall the tests involved pushing one out the back of a C-130, but it seems now they'll fit in a B-52 or B-2. No word on the red-headed stepchild B-1. If the bad guys dig, it's nice to know we may be able to dig deeper.

Posted by scott at 02:34 PM eMail this entry!
November 16, 2011
Jeep Cash

Savvy Sergio is spending 1.7 billion to update the Toledo Jeep plant in preparation for new products based on the Fiat Compact platform. Why do I care? Well, they're adding jobs to an American plant, an old unionized one at that. It'll be interesting to see how well that goes. And, you know, just incidentally, that would be the logical place for, oh... I don't know... maybe an Alfa SUV to emerge. But that's just a coincidence...

Posted by scott at 01:57 PM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2011
Volcano Go Boom

Nothing quite like a volcano shooting lava 1200 feet into the air to start the week. Scientists are claiming that, for now, the eruption poses no risk to people living nearby. The worry is that seismic activity may shift the flows and then there will be risks. In the meantime, check out the video!

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
Spider Redux

Finally, Fiat listens: Alfa Romeo to target the next Spider at the Miata. The market has been wide open for an inexpensive, rear wheel drive, front engined competitor to the MX-5 since almost the day it debuted. Each time a competitor tried, they altered the formula by putting the engine in the back, using a hard top, or making it ugly and basing it off econobox innards. The Miata's still here, they're all gone. Will Alfa get it right this time? Hey, it's Alfa, they can mess up selling candy to kids. But it'll be fun to watch them try!

Posted by scott at 07:10 AM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2011
Water-Away

Coming soon to a Wal Mart near you: a nanotech spray that makes lots of different things "super hydrophobic." Why yes, I will be buying six cans for the floorboards... oh, who am I kidding... the whole Spider. And my shoes. And all of Olivia.

Posted by scott at 04:55 PM eMail this entry!
A Man Moment

When money got tight for the Younger family in the late 1980s, Herb made a painful decision. He hesitantly sold the 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS he had bought brand new in the fall of 1964. Two decades later his sons set out on a mission to get their father his Impala back.

Did it suddenly get dusty in here?

Posted by Ellen at 05:17 AM eMail this entry!
November 12, 2011
My Other Car's A...

Brad Pitt just jumped about sixty notches up my cool ladder. Why? He bought his very own T-54. It's about damned time an A-list celebrity got on with doing something useful with his fortune. Know'wha'ah'mean?

Posted by scott at 05:13 PM eMail this entry!
November 10, 2011
Gun Fun

So, do you think a machine gun fished out of a bog, where it'd been sitting for 70 years after the Spitfire that carried it crashed, will still work? Let's find out! One of those moments which definitely pay for all the others spent digging around in the muck.

Posted by scott at 11:02 AM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2011
Asimo-vin' On

Remember the astronaut-like robot Honda was showing off a few years ago? they've upgraded it, pretty impressively. Now not only will it get a beer, apparently it will open and pour it, too. No word on when, or even if, this one will ever see production, but it looks like C3PO is not all that far away after all. With video!

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
Dance Dance Alfa

I dunno, I guess it's cool that d-bag hipsters like Alfas too. I mean, they gotta drive something, right? I think it would've been cooler if they were goths, but I'm not sure those exist anymore. All the ones I know now have mortgages & lawn mowers, and tend to spend much more time in their garden than at the club.

Posted by scott at 06:27 AM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2011
Peace Bagels

A pair of Muslim cab drivers have saved one of New York City's oldest kosher bakeries. The new owners fully intend to maintain the traditions of the business, and customers (so far) seem to be pleased. A good thing!

Posted by scott at 01:28 PM eMail this entry!
Go, Granny, Go!

An 85 year old great-grandmother finally got her wish, to land an 850 pound marlin. The picture's enough to make me call Suzanne to make sure she knows where her mother has been lately. Yes, I know, but it was enough to make me look twice.

Posted by scott at 06:23 AM eMail this entry!
November 02, 2011
Yes, Yes We Are

Couldn't have said it better myself:

The first generation to do worse than its parents? Please. Been there. Generation X was told that so many times that it can't even read those words without hearing Winona Ryder's voice in its heads ... Generation X is tired of your sense of entitlement. Generation X also graduated during a recession. It had even shittier jobs, and actually had to pay for its own music ... Generation X is used to being fucked over. It lost its meager savings in the dot-com bust. Then came George Bush, and 9/11, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Generation X bore the brunt of all that. And then came the housing crisis.

Read the whole thing, because it just gets better and better.

Posted by scott at 11:47 AM eMail this entry!
October 30, 2011
Anti-Slink

I played with slinkies (slinkys?) for years, and watched Olivia play with them even more, but it took me watching this video to realize how weird they actually are. I've long seen something weird about how they move, but I'd never seen it laid out quite so explicitly. There's a reason classic toys stay classic, ya know?

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 06:43 PM eMail this entry!
October 28, 2011
Have Anything and Smile

Two items of note: 1) there's a new coke machine with over 100 varieties to choose from and 2) Fairfax Town Center has a Firehouse Subs shop now. With one of these flash machines innit. Life is good. And tasty.

Posted by scott at 09:27 AM eMail this entry!
Aussie! Aussie! Clink Clink Clank!

That's not a coin, this is a coin. Better: it was manufactured to beat the previous record-holder, also made by an Australian mint. While our mint is trying to figure out a new way to make quarters, the Aussies are getting it done right.

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2011
Free to a Good Home

F- the Brooklyn Bridge, this one can be yours for nothing! And they're even throwing in free shipping! What a bargain! I always have wanted another way across the drainage culvert behind our development. What amazing timing...

Posted by scott at 12:10 PM eMail this entry!
October 26, 2011
Just Don't Try to Park

Yee-ha! F-1 is coming to the New York area in 2013! Another open-wheel street course within decent driving distance of my house. Yes, it'll be full of Yankees, but nothing's perfect.

Posted by scott at 07:16 AM eMail this entry!
Good Riddance

The last example of the US's most powerful nuclear weapon has been dismantled. The B53 was meant as a bunker-buster and was once employed on both ICBMs and strategic bombers. The version flying on missiles was retired long ago but 50 examples of the device lingered on as free-fall devices. No more.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2011
The Once and Future King

McDonald's has announced the McRib sandwich will be available nationwide, for a limited time, next month. At one point I was deeply in love with the things, but eventually came to my senses, probably assisted by nearby "real" barbeque joints. That said, it's your body and your money, if it tastes good to you go out and get one.

Posted by scott at 12:41 PM eMail this entry!
~ Signs Signs, Everywhere There's Signs ~

In the never-ending quest to battle bad driving, we now have flashing rear-window LED displays. The Alfas would need this the most, and sadly the Milano's rear window is likely too small and the Spider's needs to fold up and be put away.

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2011
Barn Find

And now, a 78 Corvette, one owner, absolutely all original, 13 miles on the odometer. Don't think you can just drive this one away... it'll need quite a bit to be safe again. And if you keep it stock, well, 1978 wasn't a good year for anyone's cars. On the other hand, you could have this legitimate one owner car from a time when everyone's cars were brilliant, and this more than most. And this one can be driven home, for much much less. Hell, it even has air conditioning.

Posted by scott at 06:17 PM eMail this entry!
October 21, 2011
Puss Producers

The promo machine for the upcoming movie Puss in Boots seems to be picking up steam. I'm sure I'd read somewhere else that Guillermo del Toro was in charge of the film, but I'd forgotten until I read this article. We've liked his other work quite a bit, but a Dreamworks family movie is certainly a departure from his normal fare. Here's to hoping it doesn't stink, because with a cute animated cat as the central star there's no way I'm getting out of seeing it.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2011
Tools You Can Use

In the "I'm amazed nobody's thought of this before" file we have Crimson Trace's Lightguard, a combo flashlight/laser sight with an innovative switch mechanism that naturally turns on when a gun is gripped. Ditto on the warning about not using it as a substitute flashlight. Trying to find your keys with this is could have... unfortunate consequences.

Posted by scott at 02:44 PM eMail this entry!
October 19, 2011
Doc Brown is in the Building

First we had an announcement of the electric DeLorean, now someone's done gone and driven the thing. In Houston, no less. It certainly sounds like they're serious about production. Will a different place, boss, and point in time finally see the fulfillment of John D's dream? I hope so!

Posted by scott at 10:49 AM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2011
Mouse Check

An Israeli company has developed a new security sensor that doesn't use radiation or take naked pictures or anything like that. The trick? Mice. I think it's a neat idea, but I'd definitely like to see some extensive tests of the thing before trusting it to bust Hajji. But in principle, seems neat enough.

Posted by scott at 06:58 AM eMail this entry!
October 13, 2011
I, Robot

Progress toward a useful humanoid robot seems to be proceeding apace. Not sure why the author of the article rode "teh sexay" so hard, but the videos are definitely interesting. It'd be even more interesting if they got it to walk, or maybe talk.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2011
Change I Can Believe In

The American Interest: "Unless there has been a heretofore unnoticed surge of Black voters into the ranks of the South Carolina GOP ... one out of every four voters in the most conservative electorate in the United States are now ready to vote for a Black candidate for president."

I like Cain a lot, and would be more than happy to see him as the GOP candidate because a) the more I hear about his policy ideas, the more I like them, and b) It would answer the question of what would happen if NOMAD was real. The prospect of all the heads on the left side of the peanut gallery exploding all at once just makes me... giddy!

Posted by scott at 12:18 PM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2011
And Now, a Three-Hour Tour

A 71 year-old retired Port Authority worker has gone and bought himself an island. Sure, it's not much of an island... 2.5 acres, most of which is underwater at high tide, but it's his. Oh, and it's in Long Island Sound, so it's got being at the center of Yankeeville going for it...

Posted by scott at 12:27 PM eMail this entry!
Rocket Away

An entrant in the Carmack Prize has posted this compilation of his successful test flight. Unfortunately I'm pretty sure Fairfax county would take exception to us setting all this up for Thanksgiving. Ah, well, guess we'll stick with the smaller ones.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2011
Raise Atlantis
Posted by scott at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
October 07, 2011
This is Much Better Than a Shelf Full of Cat-Shaped Urns

Mark gets a no-prize starring James Arness for bringing us a new and innovative way of disposing of cremains. No mamby-pamby, vaguely gross "green" dissolving and then flushing down the drain here, folks. Nope, right here we got cases and cases of ammo. Ellen's always said she wants her ashes to be mixed with her cats' when she goes. She never was all that specific about what would happen after the mixing...

Posted by scott at 02:15 PM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2011
Fun with Beemers

Thank goodness for the old practice of selling show cars to private individuals, otherwise we may never have seen this quite unique BMW again. I can definitely see some of the same design cues that are present on the Montreal. That top is... different.

Posted by scott at 06:38 PM eMail this entry!
Speaking of Fast Cars...

The guys who keep stealing "world's fastest production car" honors from Bugatti are at it again. Me, I'm just wondering where in the world they'll find a track that will let them get to 275 mph. The big one that was used to test the Veyron is owned by Volkswagen (who owns Bugatti), so I'm not sure they'll be all that keen to let their cut-throat competitor play around in their back yard.

Posted by scott at 12:31 PM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2011
~ You've Got a Fast Car ~

The 2012 LeMans 24 hours just got a whole lot more interesting, to me at least. At first I wondered how it could even be legal in their regs, but it seems the organizers have re-created some sort of "run what you brung" unlimited class that this thing will fit in. Here's to hoping it doesn't break!

Posted by scott at 11:49 AM eMail this entry!
Fast Mormons

A group of engineering students from Brigham Young University has set a new land speed record for an electric vehicle. Appropriately named "Electric Blue," it set a weight-class record of 155.8 mph. It's nothing you'd drive to the grocery store, but it sure does look neat.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2011
No-See-um

Using carbon nanotubes to generate a steep temperature gradient, scientists have created yet another version of an invisibility cloak. With video! One of these days something like this will end up on the market, just not sure when.

Posted by scott at 03:40 PM eMail this entry!
Tiny Terror

Fiat has announced future Alfas will be equipped with a 1.8 liter engine capable of producing 300 horsepower. I thought the new fuel economy mandates imposed by the Obama administration would signal the end of power. Turns out it just signaled the end of cheap power. Par for the course, in other words.

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
September 30, 2011
Faster, Please

When did you ever think you'd hear this: "Two years ago, America was importing about two thirds of its oil. Today, according to the Energy Information Administration, it imports less than half. And by 2017, investment bank Goldman Sachs predicts the US could be poised to pass Saudi Arabia and overtake Russia as the world's largest oil producer."

That's right, folks, the good ol' US has the potential to put Hajji on the breadline all by itself. And, unlike fundamentalists, fascists, and various dictators, this is ethical oil. Oil with environmental inspectors crawling all over it, oil with worker's rights, oil with US money going to US firms paying US taxes. What rational person would have a problem with this?

Well, ok, yes, but he's getting tossed out next November.

More is here...

Posted by scott at 09:30 AM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2011
Hey, Man... Thanks!

Beats the hell out of a dumb clock radio: sign up for a new account and get a free AK-47. Well, actually yes, the firm is in Florida. How'd you guess? I just hope it's actually legal.

Posted by scott at 02:44 PM eMail this entry!
September 27, 2011
Deep Find

A US salvage firm has discovered a shipwreck with 200 "tonnes" of silver on board. As part of a deal with the UK government, they'll keep 80% of the cargo, worth somewhere north of 250 million dollars. Which is probably a good thing, since it's sitting several miles underneath the ocean's surface. That kind of salvage ain't cheap.

Posted by scott at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2011
And So the Internet Was Born

A computer programmer has proven a specific version of the "infinite monkeys" theorem. That's the idea that an infinite number of monkeys typing on an infinite number of keyboards for an infinite amount of time will, eventually, produce the complete works of Shakespeare. Not having even one infinite amount of anything, the author of the proof simplified the problem to make it simpler and, whaddayaknow, out popped a sonnet.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2011
Basement Find

Most people are surprised by a box or two hidden away in a corner of the house their parents once lived in. Now imagine that, turned up to 11. THIS is why it's a bad idea to let junk build up to the point a door gets hidden, know'wha'I'mean?

Posted by scott at 10:15 AM eMail this entry!
September 23, 2011
Old Wheels

The world's oldest still-running car is now for sale. A steam-powered runabout completed in 1884 "La Marquise," nicknamed after the mother of the man who paid for its construction, is arguably also the winner of the very first car race. "Arguably," since it was the only one to show up. Yours, for perhaps only two million dollars!

Posted by scott at 02:52 PM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2011
Have Horse, Will Scare Bears

That'll be chick with horse: 1, bear: 0. Not much else to do about it, if you're determined to stomp around in the woods with them. I can see the appeal of all that wilderness from an academic point of view. You know, while I'm sitting poolside sipping a Mojito.

Posted by scott at 09:50 AM eMail this entry!
September 21, 2011
Fun Find

A five year-old UK girl has been reunited with the nearly perfect fossil she found. The 160 million year-old ammonite will eventually be displayed in their home, albeit carefully. The specimen is so well preserved its spikes are a bit of a hazard, it seems.

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
September 20, 2011
Invisitank

A new camouflage technology promises to make ground vehicles impossible to track or shoot has made a big splash in the defense community, but may not see the light of day. If there's this much buzz about it I'm inclined to think it works. Yes, lots of durability problems to overcome but that's just engineering.

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
Hooray for the Bug Hunt

Mark gets a no-prize mounted to the top of a dog house for bringing us news that the search is on for a lost piece of Apollo-era history. Out of all the lunar modules used during the program, there's only one who's fate is unknown. A group of UK schoolchildren are aiming to find just that out.

Posted by scott at 09:29 AM eMail this entry!
September 19, 2011
The Joust!

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This horse was a bit too happy to be jousting. He nearly ran into a wall a few times.

Posted by Ellen at 09:44 PM eMail this entry!
~ Let's Fly Let's Fly Away ~

By stitching together hundreds of publicly-available photographs, a "science educator" has created a nifty time-lapse video of a journey on the International Space Station. It better be good. We spent enough to get it.

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
September 16, 2011
Up Hill, Both Ways

Hurricane Irene's destruction isn't stopping students who want to attend a small Vermont school. Pardon me while I give a shiver to the thought that there's a place somewhere with a first snow just weeks away. This Southerner's mind boggles...

Posted by scott at 03:52 PM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2011
The Color of Life

I don't really know why it takes color photography to bring a scene from the past to life, but it does, at least for me. What I like to think about is that these people lived closer to the 19th century than the 21st. Things seem to have been a lot, well, dingier back then, but that may be the film. Or the fact that I've not spent all that much time in Manhattan.

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2011
The Dumbbell of DOOM!

A small robot manufacturer has got the Army tossing robots left and right. The little self-propelled cameras are turning out to be vital in the insurgent conflict by allowing quick, accurate reconnaissance at very low risk to the soldiers involved.

Posted by scott at 02:15 PM eMail this entry!
Crazy from the Heat

The AC apparently went out at the Geneva auto show, and the show's eye candy got downright cranky because of it. I'm not sure they actually are arguing; the model on the left could simply be pointing something out.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
September 13, 2011
Dino Find

A fossil discovered in nearby College Park, Maryland is making some news today. The specimen, recovered in 1997 by an amateur collector, is that of a nodosaur, an armored beast closely resembling its more famous cousin, ankylosaurus. It represents the smallest, and therefore youngest, example of the species found to-date.

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
September 12, 2011
Ooh... Ahh... Pretty...

Alfa is scheduled to unveil subtle updates to its 4C sports car at the Geneva Auto Show this week, but someone managed to snap a few pictures ahead of time. It seems to be shiny this time, instead of that "needs-a-wash" satin finish from earlier this year.

Posted by scott at 06:21 AM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2011
Whee!!!

It seems waterski jumping is making a comeback. The technique strongly reminds me of regular ski jumping, but that lake looks pretty short. I'm just old enough to remember ski jumps in the river we used to cruise in when I was a kid. Liability and various strong storms did away with them long ago.

Posted by scott at 11:06 AM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2011
Song of the South

Mark gets a no-prize wrapped in hot, crunchy goodness for bringing us this collection of unique fried foods. I'd heard of the fried pickles before, but the fried bubble gum was new to me. Definitely don't want to tell the little gum fiend in my house about that one...

Posted by scott at 01:15 PM eMail this entry!
September 05, 2011
Baltimore Grand Prix Indy Car 2011

Scott took Olivia and I to the Indy Car race in Baltimore this past weekend. We had a great time, a bit hot, but the one thing we cannot get over is how LOUD these cars are.

Mind you there were several races that day. Each division was LOUDER than the next. The final race...was 145 decibles! x's that by 75 laps. Loud right?

Yes, Scott bought all of us earplugs!

Posted by Ellen at 04:32 PM eMail this entry!
The Reviews Keep Coming In

ESPN has lots of nice things to say about the Baltimore Grand Prix. Even someone obviously against the event gives grudging respect, although it takes a bit of wading through various political sniping to get to it.

We re-watched the event last night and both Ellen and Olivia said it was all much more interesting when we'd actually been at the event. It turns out I actually got on TV. If you know exactly where to look, and on which lap, are watching in HD and have a slow-motion feature on your DVR, you can see me for about sixteen frames exactly once. Well, my hat and my shirt at any rate. Mike Wazowski, FTW!

sullyandmike.png
Posted by scott at 07:51 AM eMail this entry!
September 02, 2011
~ Came the Wreck of the Sankinsan Maru ~

Since it's doubtful I'll ever get anywhere near the place, this picture collection of nifty shipwrecks in the Truk lagoon are pretty neat. There are no intact Betty bombers around today. I wonder if the ones at the bottom of that lagoon are even vaguely candidates for salvage?

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2011
A Metric We Can Use

Forget that stupid hurricane force metric. When you've been eating cold pork and beans for two days, the Waffle House Index is far more important. My brother utterly loves the chain, while Ellen turns green at the mere thought. Of course, that's what she thought about Sonic, too, until she tried the shakes there. Unfortunately the closest one to us is more than a half-hour's drive away. Always puzzles me, that such Southern staples as Waffle House, Wal Mart, and Sonic are so light on the ground around here.

Posted by scott at 01:40 PM eMail this entry!
Steam Away

Fans of steampunk (if you know what it is, you probably are) should be happy to know even PBS is starting to notice the trend. I was wondering where all the goths had got to now that they'd started growing up. Found 'em!

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2011
Airshark!

Kevin gets a no-prize that'll ensure no cat is ever right in our house again for bringing us Air Swimmers. Actually, I'm a bit surprised I haven't seen RC balloons before now. I guess I'm not looking in the right places. At least this one will be hard to crash!

Posted by scott at 06:21 AM eMail this entry!
August 26, 2011
Tweet Shake

Someone's managed to put together an animated map of tweets regarding the VA earthquake. Privacy? What's that? Me, I'd like to see an animated map of how quickly the vibrations propagated, and see how closely that corresponds to this.

Posted by scott at 03:14 PM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2011
It Was Bound to Happen Eventually

A certain house in Campbell Hall will certainly be tuned in to see this one: Lady Gaga is set to be a character in an upcoming Simpsons episode. The article makes it seem more than just a single-line "talk-on" (talkeo?) Here's to hoping for an early end to the World Series!

Posted by scott at 09:36 AM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2011
"Ciel" of Approval

Cadillac has unveiled a very interesting new concept car. It's nice to see them coming out with some genuine art again.

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
Supergun

Introducing the AX388: the successor to the sniper rifle that holds the world-record for "longest shot." This one shoots through schools that are in the next county.

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2011
Ooh... Ahh... Pretty...

When seventy years old YOUR favorite marque becomes, look as stylish, it will not. The folks I knew who owned Alfas like this enjoyed taking them to US car shows, just to embarrass the Cadillac and Duesenberg guys. Oh, and read closely, this one was campaigned by Ferrari, actual.

Thing is, the guys who designed and built this one, trained the guys who designed and built mine. No, really.

Posted by scott at 10:08 PM eMail this entry!
Tornado Tank

Storm Chasers' Sean Casey is exhibiting his iconic TIV2 at The Tech Museum in San Jose, Calif. Even better: It seems like he's finally finished that damned IMAX movie he's been working on all this time, and it's showing downtown! This'll definitely beat the hell out of Spy Kids 4D.

Posted by scott at 01:32 PM eMail this entry!
August 17, 2011
Of Windmills, and the Men Who Tilt at Them

Chris gets a no-prize that'll bloody well ring freedom wherever it pleases for bringing us news that a silicon valley billionaire is out to create himself some countries: "Pay Pal founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel has given $1.25 million to an initiative to create floating libertarian countries in international waters, according to a profile of the billionaire in Details magazine."

The experiences of Sealand may be instructive here. I'm not sure just how serious the guy is, but hey, it's his money, he can spend it how he pleases. That said, these things will only survive at the pleasure of the US Navy. I would expect them to be able to hold off your garden variety pirate raid, but a determined state could easily overwhelm them. Still, it's fun to think about!

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
Eco-Goats

Our open fields and woodlands—be they roadside, along utility lines, or in our own back yards—are overrun with invasive species and other problem vegetation. Enter Eco-Goats! This sustainable alternative is fast, easy, effective, environmentally sound and just plan fun.

When it comes to clearing unwanted vegetation, goats can provide an ideal alternative to machines and herbicides. They graze in places that mowers can't reach and humans don't want to go (yes, they love Poison Ivy). In fact, goats eat a wide range of unwanted vegetation, which on the East Cost include Kudzu, Oriental Bittersweet, Ailanthus, Multiflora Rose, Japanese Honeysuckle, Mile-A-Minute and more.

How much fun would that job be? Drop your goats off and let them get to work.

Posted by Ellen at 05:22 AM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2011
Huzzah for Chickens!

Despite cramped backyards, sub-par soil and the sheer improbability of starting such a project, Chicagoans are embracing the land, bringing elements of the farm into the city. Nowhere is this more dramatic than those who raise chickens, a stable of farm living that is spreading through city neighborhoods.
I need some chickens.
Posted by Ellen at 06:07 AM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2011
RC Hobby, FTW!

Ok, so if it helps save lives, can we all now agree radio controlled vehicles are not toys, but rather are a legitimate pastime with real-world applications? Anyone? Anyone?

Oh, shut up. A $200 truck is not a danged toy, ok?

Posted by scott at 06:54 PM eMail this entry!
August 10, 2011
Fun with Tiny Choppers

A very professional RC pilot with a very souped-up MCPX. One day, one day...

Posted by scott at 06:56 AM eMail this entry!
God's Snowball

Cool only because nobody got killed: it's actually more than a little dangerous to get too close to a glacier. With video! Me, I'm happy watching HD videos of the things. Then again, I think roughing it means no Tivo. I'm fun that way!

Posted by scott at 06:23 AM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2011
Blade Runner

For the first time an amputee will be competing in an able-bodied World Championship track and field event. Oscar Pistorius, a 24-year-old double-amputee who competes on carbon fibre legs, will race in the 400m and 4x400m relay for South Africa. Good on ya, mate!

Posted by scott at 03:41 PM eMail this entry!
I *LIKE* It!

Looks like hacker conventions aren't always about anarchists airing out dirty laundry: Defcon hackers are building, among other things, a camera designed to be fired out of a grenade launcher. Well, the military version is. Their version seems to be meant to use a flare gun. Like that makes it any less cool. Who knows? Maybe "Turkey and Rockets '13," the 2013 version of our annual Thanksgiving party, will be accompanied by roving miniature photography helicopters and an "eye in the sky."

Posted by scott at 01:01 PM eMail this entry!
August 04, 2011
Save the Bugs!

As part of a holy day celebration, a group of Buddhists has freed over 500 lobsters in Massachusetts. Bought & paid for them, no less. Oh geeze, someone get Ellen and Mark some tissues. No use crying over freed food!

Posted by scott at 02:28 PM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2011
Big Pile

If plans pan out the title of "World's Tallest Building" will soon be moving to Saudi Arabia. My old anthropology adviser once noted the best way to tell when a society is on the way out is when they start making monstrous monuments. "It means they're not busy enough doing real work," he said. Pretty apt description of the Sand Box, I'd say. Winning!

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
I Wonder if It Stings?

And now, a technicolor jellyfish that's four feet across. Every time I think it might be fun to swim in the ocean I see one of these things. Or a shark week episode. The beach is good enough for me!

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2011
Win a Ticket to Ride

The company that owns Seattle's Space Needle wants to shoot you into orbit. Well, ok, has created a contest who's grand prize is a trip with Virgin Galactic. I'll wager far more "common" people will get rides like this than pundits have predicted.

Posted by scott at 09:45 AM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2011
Yee-Haw!

Congratulations to Scuderia Limoni for bringing home the biggest margin of victory in Lemons history! The second-ever Alfa winner brought home a victory with a 50 minute lead over the next place.

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2011
A Party, for the Rest of Us

Barring a critical failure or massive penalties, an Alfa Milano is on its way to winning the latest lemons race, the Boston Tow Party. Yes, lemons, not LeMons. Just about everyone, included the principles, are surprised at how popular and reliable our big-bootied box is in this series. Go, Scuderia Limoni, go!

Posted by scott at 08:40 AM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2011
Convention Time!

This year's Alfa Owner's Club convention was too far away for us to make, but a nearby Alfa parts warehouse made it and the pictures make it seem just about as much fun as last year's. Without the 95+ degree temperatures. Those stayed in Virginia. Woot?

Posted by scott at 04:03 PM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2011
Spaghetti Spy

Test mules for the upcoming Dodge Caliber replacement are taking their first steps toward individuality. Nobody's sure when the real deal will be for sale, or just how different it will really be from an Alfa Giulietta. Still, which sounds better... a re-badged Mistubishi, or... ?

Posted by scott at 08:04 AM eMail this entry!
July 17, 2011
Fun with Faces

Well, they do it on Friday, we link it up on Sunday: New Scientist's latest "Friday Illusion" should have all of you staring. It vaguely reminds me of those Godley and Creme videos from the 80s.

Yes, you're going to have to look it up. Damned kids...

Posted by scott at 07:48 PM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2011
They Like It! They Really Like It!

Not very often we get to put Alfa links up twice in a day, but when Autoweek likes the new Giulietta, by driving it around in the US, that's something to talk about. The approximated $34k list is, I'd wager, almost certainly inflated due to exchange rates. Very neat!

Posted by scott at 06:32 PM eMail this entry!
The Persistence of Squishy Memory

Scientists have announced the development of electronic memory circuits which have "the physical characteristics of jello". The current examples are strictly proof-of-concept, but it's hoped the technology can be developed into new sorts of medical sensors and other sorts of devices which need to function in wet environments.

Posted by scott at 03:19 PM eMail this entry!
It's Not Like They Park Themselves

I don't care how silly it looks, you can bet I'd help someone parallel park a 1968 Alfa 33 racing prototype. We saw one of these at last year's Alfa convention. They kept tennis balls in the velocity trumpets to keep things from falling down into them. Really!

Posted by scott at 08:00 AM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2011
The More You Know...

Mike J. gets a no-prize he can always turn to, for the price of a dime anyway, for bringing us this "so nifty and obvious" tip for getting supermarket discounts when you've forgotten or don't have a store card. Thing is, though, Tommy Tutone's hit is nearly thirty years old now. I'm not sure how much longer this tip will work.

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
July 07, 2011
That's Mister Tonka Truck To You, Bub

In the, "I'm surprised it's taken this long" file we've found a full-sized and functional replica of the iconic Halo ATV, the Warthog. Something tells me if this one goes tumbling down a cliff it won't simply take rolling it right side up to get it going again. Especially since it's got a Datsun inside it.

Posted by scott at 11:37 AM eMail this entry!
How I Wonder What You Are

By using sophisticated imaging techniques, scientists have resurrected what may be the world's oldest commercial sound recording. I've said it before, I'll say it again: no matter how obscure or obsolete the technology is, as long as the media survives it will always be accessible. Anyone who says differently either isn't paying attention or is literally selling something.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2011
The Progress of Memory

While I'm sure it's been quite obvious to people who regularly travel in the city, it's still nice for the rest of us to see such progress made at the World Trade Center site. A bit ironic that it comes from a UK news site, but hey, our bunch was busy with much more important stories, ya know?

Posted by scott at 03:50 PM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2011
Rare Dirt

Japanese surveyors have announced the discovery of huge off-shore deposits of rare earth minerals. While not as rare as their name would imply, these minerals are critical to the electronics industry and the current supply is almost completely dominated by China. Breaking that monopoly has been a goal of the Japanese government ever since China decided to rattle their cage with an embargo over a territory dispute last year. It remains to be seen if the resources can be exploited economically.

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
July 04, 2011
That's What You Call a Close Shave

Spoiler alert: the squirrel gets away just fine. I'm not so sure about the squirrel's tail. I think the aerodynamics of the car must've pressed him down just enough for him to be safe.

Posted by scott at 09:42 AM eMail this entry!
Fun with Sliders

Mike J. gets a no-prize that can scale impressively in either direction for bringing us this nifty little way of putting the size of things in perspective. Still doesn't convey the scale of mess Olivia's room is in at the end of the week, s'all I'm sayin'...

Posted by scott at 09:37 AM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2011
Tisdale

After twenty years... wait, maybe ten? Five? Oh, bloody hell, after a time span of somewhat indeterminate length, Monty Python are reuniting with their dead member for a new project. I'm pretty sure we get Epix as a cable channel but if we don't, well, there's always Netflix!

Posted by scott at 01:03 PM eMail this entry!
June 29, 2011
Contact Light

The latest "Seal 6" rumor is that they used night vision contact lenses during the assault on Bin Laden's compound. It would be even cooler, assuming they actually exist, if it somehow made their eyes glow in the dark. I know, I know, bad for stealth, but to have a building assaulted by glowing-eyed demons would be so appropriate.

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2011
Boxes Boxes Everywhere, and Lots of Things to Drink

Will a CNN food critic's opinion of box wine bring more respectability to the genre? Who knows? We liked Pepperwood when it was in bottles, and it's the same stuff going into the box, so we're sold. Don't much care what anyone else thinks.

Posted by scott at 03:53 PM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2011
A Truck, for the Rest of Us

Top Gear isn't often mentioned in the media nowadays, but that can change when they test a civilian vehicle that can withstand military punishment. It's probably too big and/or heavy for Moab, but that's not really what it's meant for. Northern Virginia is home to every hyper-expensive SUV imagined, so I expect to see one of these in the area any day now.

Posted by scott at 06:23 AM eMail this entry!
June 25, 2011
That's a Mighty Big Plan

Congratulations to Tony Robinson, best known for his role as Baldric in the 80s British comedy Blackadder, for his recent marriage. Four inches taller and more than thirty years younger, no less. Hey, if they're happy, why not?

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
June 24, 2011
A Championship, for the Rest of Us

Darn it, just a few weeks too late for me to see: the second-annual World Cheese Dip Championship will be held this September in Little Rock, Arkansas. Late September in Arkansas is (as I recall) almost bearable, but will certainly be warm enough to keep the dips from freezing. All the stuff with cheese in it too, I'll wager.

Posted by scott at 06:26 AM eMail this entry!
June 22, 2011
Where are the Sharks?

Another year, another improbably large contraption promising to make lasers practical weapons. This time it's the Navy, and instead of a chemical laser it's some sort of swanky electron pumping contraption. The Army has gone on record as not believing lasers will be practical until the solid-state variety can push the power needed. Looking at the size and complexity of this latest effort, I see nothing to contradict that stance.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
June 21, 2011
God Bless America!

I'm not sure which is more entertaining, the deep fried kool-aid balls, or the author's smarmy hipster disapproval of them. Hey, why not just enjoy them both? Personally the food doesn't sound all that tasty to me, but I'll bet we wouldn't be able to keep Olivia away from them.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
June 20, 2011
Electric Ramen

A Japanese company has taken a conventional cooking pot and turned it into an electric charger. By using thermoelectric ceramics that turn temperature differentials into electricity, this souped-up cookware is capable of fully charging, say, an iPod in a few hours. You won't power your house with it, but it should keep the smart phone alive even when the power grid goes dead.

Posted by scott at 04:18 PM eMail this entry!
My Kind of Real Estate?

Indoor pool: check. Sauna: check. Gym: check. Great. What about the garage? No garage, no deal. Darn, and I was all ready to write the down-payment check, too.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
June 19, 2011
Coming Soon...

... to a museum very near us: the Capitoline Venus, "one of the most precious and best preserved artifacts from Roman antiquity," will be on display at the National Gallery of Art this summer. The National Gallery is not as likely to be stuffed to the rafters with tourists this time of year al-la Air & Space or Natural History, so we might make a special trip. Otherwise, here's to hoping it hangs on until at least October, when the Mall museums become sane again.

Posted by scott at 04:45 PM eMail this entry!
June 18, 2011
Mama Sez Knock U Out

Remember: 14 rounds of 12 gauge means never having to say you're sorry. Growing up in the south, I read more than my fair share of "stupid teen gets head blown off sneaking back into the house at 3 am" stories. My take is to THWACK a round into the chamber, and then blow a hole in the floor if I'm still nervous. With most shotguns, that leaves just one round left. This one, this one has OPTIONS.

Posted by scott at 10:34 PM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2011
Not Exactly a Pod Racer, but...

Another year, another guy building a Star Wars-themed soapbox racer. The rotating R2 unit is a nice touch, but I agree it would've been sweeter if the wings opened and shut. Hopefully his operation is small enough to avoid the attention of Lucas's lawyers... rrmm... the Empire.

Posted by scott at 01:23 PM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2011
Buzz Bike

And now, a BMW-powered hoverbike. Yes, hoverbike. Supposedly it's capable of 173 mph and 10,000 feet. No, Ellen, Kevin, and Chris, you can't have one. I'll bet it's amazingly loud, too.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2011
Wii'ing on the Future

I'm sure it'll be all over the place soon enough, but this is the first article I've seen discussing the "Wii U," the successor to, well, the Nintendo Wii (keep your "Captain Obvious" comments to yourself, bub.) The biggest change is a controller that includes an 8" LCD screen of its own to augment what you get on the main screen. Bowling may never been the same again.

Posted by scott at 03:40 PM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2011
Gurkha Style!

Do not mess with mountain warriors: "At one point, after exhausting all his ammunition, he had to use the tripod of his machine gun to beat away a militant who was climbing the walls of the compound."

Posted by scott at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
Now That's Versatile

It did not go quietly into retirement: Endeavour's final sonic boom leads to the arrest of criminals suspected of a string of burglaries and other crimes. Report includes ever-so-helpful Captain Obvious filler about sonic booms. Heheheh... Booms...

Posted by scott at 09:09 AM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2011
Paging Icehouse, White Courtesy Phone Please

And now, an electric blue lobster. What? No reason, other than it's an electric blue lobster! Blue bugs, man, blue bugs...

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2011
Package This

Anyone who's spent half an hour trying to wrestle a tool out of one of those damned clamshell packages will likely be pleased to hear they're being phased out. Reduces cost and frustration for me, increases the "greening" of industry. Wow. I agree with the greens about something. The mind boggles.

Posted by scott at 03:42 PM eMail this entry!
June 01, 2011
Fiat Fun

Information about the Fiat 500's US debut is getting easier to find. The changes sound promising. As of last week, they were still building our Fiat dealership just down the road from where I work, but still managed to put what must've been a dozen of the little things in the parking lot. I saw one on the roads five, maybe six weeks ago, but none since then. I'm very curious what Consumer Reports makes of them, but so far they haven't published anything.

Posted by scott at 03:19 PM eMail this entry!
Bitty Bombs

As drones become more capable and the miniaturization of guidance systems proceeds apace, the market for, and capabilities of, "micro-munitions" is growing. Bonus: one of the widgets being developed makes the bad guys sparkle.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
May 29, 2011
Work It

Leave it to Fark: "See guys, this is what steroids do to you, you turn into a 74yo black woman living in Baltimore." And why the heck not?

Posted by scott at 07:57 AM eMail this entry!
May 27, 2011
Satisfaction

Alfa Romeo has managed to climb into the top 10 of the UK's J.D. Power ratings on owner satisfaction. The cars have been climbing in quality for years, but the Alfa UK dealer network was legendary in its ineptitude. Seems they've managed to fix that as well. Cross and serpent, FTW!

Posted by scott at 10:13 AM eMail this entry!
May 24, 2011
Duh... Winning!

Well of course I'm going to use a worn out pop-culture cliche to announce vintage Alfa Romeos have won top honors at Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza. No, I don't know what that means either, but it sounds damned fancy, I'll tell you what. Top Gear has pictures of all the rest of the awesomeness that attended the show, including a brief shot of everyone's favorite, "she looked better in Firefly but damn" Mad Men star.

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
May 20, 2011
Prelude of Energy

Shell has announced the intent to build a floating LNG factory 30% longer and a whopping six times heavier than a Nimitz class aircraft carrier. Bound for the gas fields off the coast of Australia, it's planned to service the grown energy needs primarily of Asia, since the US uses different technology to exploit domestic reserves. Big engineering, FTW!

Posted by scott at 10:05 AM eMail this entry!
May 18, 2011
... And Me Stuck With an Android

Alfa Romeo has announced an iPhone app. Apparently it's an electronic version of a UK fanzine published by the marque. I'm not worried that much, an Android version can't be too far behind.

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2011
Good For Her!

Carrie Fisher is on her way back to "fighting weight." Of course, becoming a Jenny Craig spokesperson sorta made weight loss obligatory, but still, if it gets the weight off it gets the weight off. Keeping it off, that'll be the trick. Oh, and let's all pause for a moment of cringing at all the cheesy Star Wars references in the article. Inevitable? Yes. Annoying anyway? Yes.

Posted by scott at 12:19 PM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2011
They Can Be Useful!

"For many of the inmates, it's the first time they've actually been responsible for the care of another living thing," Lamb said. "It's extremely moving to hear the times these animals have changed them . or made them think differently about the decisions they've made. And it has a calming effect on the institution to have these animals here."

Butterfield was one of 10 inmates selected out of 100 who applied to Camp Canine when the program started. He fit the qualifications: clear conduct record and no sex offenses, child abuse or cruelty to animals. He had his GED.

Inmates like the program because it pays $2 a day - more than most other inmate jobs - and they get a private cell.

"You feel more free," said Butterfield, who had owned dogs before going to prison. "It really sped (time) up."

A very sweet story.

Posted by Ellen at 09:15 PM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2011
Exhibit Time

Next spring the Smithsonian American Art museum will host an exhibit titled, "The Art of Video Games." The stuff featured in the article seems heavy on promo art instead of what's going on in the games themselves. Seems a bit of a cheat, that.

Posted by scott at 07:08 AM eMail this entry!
A Rockstar That Will Live Forever...

...until there is a black out.

Miku Hatsune (literally "future first-sound") debuted on August 31, 2007 at age 16 -- an age she will presumably always remain -- when Crypton Future Media released its first character vocal series software package.

The concerts feature a full live support band and special hologram guests. With 3D TVs taking off in Japan and 3D concerts with 3D characters, one wonders if the humble manga or anime will survive another generation.

Want to see the video and article?
Posted by Ellen at 05:52 AM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2011
This, on the Other Hand...

Robert H. gets an updated no-prize for bringing a cover of a Janis Joplin cover I actually rather like. Then again, I like most things Pink does. Slave to pop music, that's me.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
War Dogs

The ever amazing kick ass war dogs.

A fuzzy companion, partner and hero wrapped up in some "Can we play some ball now?"

What many people still do not realize is that dogs keep the soldiers going. Something as simple as a dog that makes them think of home, and yet are able to work together to get a very difficult task done.

Posted by Ellen at 05:58 AM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2011
Ooh... Ahh... Pretty...

Details of the new Alfa Zagato TZ3 are starting to emerge. The bullet: Dodge Viper platform, Ferrari drivetrain, and Italian styling. The cost? They're only making six of them, and three are already sold. Your guess is as good as mine, but likely we'll both be on the low side of "can't-affordability"

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
Super Sight

The boys at Oak Ridge are at it again, this time producing an electronic sniper scope capable of correcting for the slightest distortion. Considering the range of a modern sniper rifle is something like two miles, such compensation can mean the difference between sending a terrorist to his reward and having him send us to ours.

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2011
Cave Movie

Werner Herzog, who Ellen and I know as the eerily entertaining man behind the movie Grizzly Man, has released a 3D movie documenting the oldest-known cave paintings in the world. I can't quite remember when I read that one of the problems with looking at pictures of these paintings was all the relief provided by the cave walls was lost. It seems Mr. Herzog has found the solution to that problem. Definitely one to look out for at a museum theater near you!

Posted by scott at 01:20 PM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2011
Nice Catch

Toddlers get into any number of jams which require an adult to catch them before they fall. Few, I would imagine, manage to do it so literally. When they start walking there's a danger zone for new parents because suddenly what used to be a low-slung imitation turtle is now something that can move far and fast and reach EVERYTHING. I'm just glad nobody got hurt.

Posted by scott at 10:01 AM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2011
Cross and Serpent Canuck

Latest rumor: Alfa Giulias are to be manufactured at a Chrysler plant in Canada. Yeah, UAW plant. But hey, Alfas are engineered with the understanding they'll be assembled by employees who can't be fired and are drunk before noon. They should fit right in!

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
April 16, 2011
Wooden Umbrella

There are materials, there is engineering, and then there is architecture. All those times I've criticized green religion? Yeah, ok, I'm not taking them back. But I will give a nod to the idea that, like the ol' broken clock, not all green ideas are bad ones.

Update: links to the correct article now. The original was a SFW bit of "portal appreciation" Ron sent me this morning. Cut & paste fail!

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
April 15, 2011
Top to Bottom

Nothing like an extended scale ruler to bring home just how tall the tallest things are on the planet, as well as how deep are the deepest. I've watched enough shows on Mount Everest to already understand how tall it is, but the depth of things like the Deepwater Horizon drill or Titanic were surprising.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2011
'Cause Opposites Attract

Ever wonder what was literally on the other side of the world from you? Wonder no more. Being a water-world, the answer most likely will be a whole lot of empty ocean. It certainly is for N. Virginia. I had to zoom out several times before Australia came into distant view.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
April 12, 2011
Rip Curl

Robert H. gets strong, current no-prize for bringing us the ultimate in fresh water surfing. I used to waterski on the Arkansas river a few miles upstream of a major lock and dam complex. The currents created when they opened the lock were strong enough to be difficult to swim against even that far away. I can only imagine what it's like over there.

Posted by scott at 07:01 AM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2011
Old Tech

April marks the 35th anniversary of the Apple computer company. If, like me, you wondered then and now just what the Apple I was all about, this breezy slide show should provide a nice introduction. I bet you can still find emulators that'll resurrect the ol' Apple I inside a modern system.

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
April 08, 2011
Dome Lock

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile defense had its first combat engagement recently. Massive unguided rocket attacks are one of the few methods the terrorists have left to cause Israel genuine trouble. It's nice to see freedom and technology beginning to erode what was once thought to be an incontestable advantage of evil.

Posted by scott at 07:07 AM eMail this entry!
April 07, 2011
Define Guilt

Ya know, I'm starting to see more and more fond mentions of the Alfa Milano, which is fine with me! After an unfortunate encounter with the door of a Mercedes, our regular daily driver is laid up for repairs, and (so far) the Milano is holding up fine as its temporary substitute.

Posted by scott at 06:57 AM eMail this entry!
April 06, 2011
A Cow That Jumped Over The Moon!

Not only do the pair regularly go on long rides through the German countryside, they also hurdle over makeshift jumps created with beer crates and painted logs.

Regina, who lives in Laufen, southern Germany, said of Luna: "She thinks she's a horse."

Check out the article and video.

Posted by Ellen at 09:21 PM eMail this entry!
F'ing Jarhead

Mark Twain would be proud: a marine sergeant takes a sniper bullet to the head and is smoking a cig fifteen minutes later. With picture! Allahuh Akbar that, hajji-boy.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
April 05, 2011
Toyz!

Nikon has announced details of the D5100, replacement for the popular consumer DSLR, the D5000. We have a 5000, and to be honest we usually forget it can do video. We have phones for that, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 06:26 AM eMail this entry!
April 03, 2011
My Kind of Off-Roader

People thought, when it first showed up at car shows, the Ferrari FF was a weird looking piece of kit. Now that a few journalists have been turned loose in them, it seems it is weird looking and very, very good. Yeah, I know, won't hold a candle to a Datsun going off road but, dude, who cares?

Posted by scott at 02:08 PM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2011
Turnabout is Fair Play

So it seems the Viper won't be based on an Alfa platform, but instead an Alfa will be based on a Viper platform. Oh, yeah, it'll be way too expensive for me to get one, but hey, it'll be an Alfa with a V-frikki-10 in it!

Posted by scott at 11:00 AM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2011
Best Headline Evar!

Petite Italian Model Seeks Yellow Bergen Durka Durka Trip Top. What, you think I'm going to really try when most of you clicked through after you read the fourth word?

Posted by scott at 07:05 AM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2011
~ We Do What We Must / Because We Can ~

Posted by scott at 06:19 PM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2011
Dead Science

So, nearly twenty years after it's cancellation, ever wonder what's become of the Superconducting Supercollider? Have we got an overview for you. The way I remember this, it was a choice between the space station and this thing. NASA'd spent all its life cultivating congresscritters with varying degrees of success. Big science stood high in its ivory tower and assumed the value of thing would speak for itself. The results were predictable, in a weird sort of way.

Posted by scott at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
March 25, 2011
Goin' Down to South Park Gonna Watch Myself a Play

I thought South Park had been away for an extended period of time. Turns out the boys were busy making themselves a play. A pretty good one too, if the review is to be believed. Need to pencil this one in the "to watch for" when it goes on the road, because it'll definitely be in this area at some point.

Posted by scott at 07:18 AM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2011
If It's Stupid and It Works...

So, I still haven't managed to see that "Friday" video yet, but it would seem its singer will be able to pay for her college education with the profits. And in today's higher education bubble, that's saying something. I don't want to create the $5,000 widget everyone wants. I want to create the $5.00 widget everyone is curious about. After all, people will pay $5 just to see what it is.

Posted by scott at 02:22 PM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2011
Real Ring of Fire

Hey, why not vacation in the bottom of an active volcano caldera? Be sure to bring one helluva big tube of Preparation H!

Posted by scott at 07:21 AM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2011
Dog Day After Wave

After being forced to leave them for dead because of the sudden tsunami, a Japanese man assumed the family's two dogs were long gone when he returned to his house two days later. Turns out, he was wrong. Bonus: it's a classic big dog/little dog pair.

Posted by scott at 12:21 PM eMail this entry!
March 14, 2011
Achievement Unlocked

Ok, ok, I know it's bad to praise one shot, two kills. So I won't. Much. Look, I never said I was a good Buddhist, ok? Plus there's that whole, "karma's a biatch, biatch" angle that's so... enticing...

Posted by scott at 06:34 PM eMail this entry!
Remembered Things

The stuff you stumble across in a Google search can be amazing, like the complete December 1978 issue of Boys' Life. I was a subscriber to the magazine in this era, so I almost certainly had this issue. I think I remember it, certainly all the graphics and sections brought back a flood of memories. If nothing else, the advertisements are a scream. Go over and remember with, or make fun of, me. It's all good!

Posted by scott at 03:21 PM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2011
And The Car Goes, Whoosh-Crack!

It seems the Bloodhound SSC super car is progressing nicely. A car that needs an F-1 engine to act as a fuel pump promises to be a serious bit of kit, and this vehicle is on track to not disappoint.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
Old Books, New Life

A rare original print King James bible has been discovered sitting quietly unremarked on a shelf in a small country church in England. England in particular seems to be dotted with these sorts of discoveries. As I recall, there are a few cathedral bibles scattered around the country which have sat in the same spot, on the same shelf, in the same church, for more than a thousand years.

Then there's the story of a British family that took three thousand years to move three hundred yards...

Posted by scott at 06:23 AM eMail this entry!
March 07, 2011
And That's the Way It's Done

With apologies to Lucas et. al.: when 84 years old YOU get, shoot as straight YOU will not. I guess there's just some things you never forget how to do.

Posted by scott at 09:56 PM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2011
As if Millions of Bureaucrats Suddenly Cried Out in Terror, and Then Were Suddenly Silent

U.K. to do-nothing international bureaucrats: drop dead. Giant swathes of the UN bureaucracy are little more than travel agencies and ATMs for the elite of various countries. Maybe now that the grownups are in charge of our side of the pond, we'll get a few whips cracked over here, too.

Posted by scott at 03:26 PM eMail this entry!
Eagle Country

Well, I certainly didn't know that hunting with eagles is an ancient practice in Mongolia. And, since I didn't know, nobody important knew either. So, fixed that for ya. Oh, and just leave the sound muted... the narrator will put you to sleep otherwise.

Posted by scott at 07:23 AM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2011
I Wonder if It'll Come in Chartreuse?

VW has unveiled a modern, all-electric, version of the iconic microbus. With a top speed of 87 mph, as with its predecessor it will have just enough power to get and stay in everyone's way. But it'll be roomy!

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2011
Ooh... Ahh... Pretty...

Alfa's latest entry in the sports car field has finally premiered. As with most of their new designs, I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I do, however, think the satin paint finish has to go... makes it look un finished, IMO. $60k-ish is more affordable than $230k-ish, but still far out of my league. That said, I doubt it will be mistaken for anything else, and people who can afford $60k-ish cars I think find that important. A hit? Who knows?

Posted by scott at 01:18 PM eMail this entry!
Time House

In spite of being near the center of some of the most violent conflicts of the 20th century, a house in France is scheduled to open as a museum, after being left empty and untouched for one hundred years. Europe is, I believe, proof that no matter how hard someone tries it's simply not possible to destroy absolutely everything good in the world.

Posted by scott at 07:02 AM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2011
Green Shoe

In the "why-the-heck-not" department, we have a new line of sneakers that are completely biodegradable, which even have seeds implanted in the tongues. They'll likely cost a premium over regular shoes, but that's plenty understandable, at least to me. To those who think environmentalism is free, maybe not so much.

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
February 23, 2011
The Color of Steel

Robert H. gets a no-prize that occasionally goes, "ook" for bringing us news of yet another "made-from-scratch" sword. He may not be able to use a keyboard any more, but it seems Terry Pratchett is able to do a bit of mining when the need arises.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
February 22, 2011
Making It From Scratch

It's not often a recipe for a knife blade starts with, "first, go get some iron ore," but it does occasionally happen. Everyone needs a hobby!

Posted by scott at 08:02 AM eMail this entry!
An Exhibit, for the Rest of Us

The Smithsonian American Art Museum will be featuring "The Art of Video Games" starting spring of next year. I actually had to dig around to figure out just exactly which museum that was. Turns out it's the one attached to the portrait museum. Small wonder, that one's been closed for quite some time for renovation.

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
February 21, 2011
Angry Cake

Sometimes having nerds as parents is... really freaking cool! What? You thought I was going to say something else? You really do need to visit more often.

Posted by scott at 05:43 PM eMail this entry!
Every Man's Home

Robert H. gets a loopy no-prize with ambition from bringing us Bishop's Castle, another example of what happens when you give a certain kind of American some free time and the skills to use it. I like him. He's kooky.

Posted by scott at 10:12 AM eMail this entry!
February 19, 2011
Playin' with Your Head

And now, a home-made version of an Escher illusion. I can't decide if it's a clever bit of forced perspective, or if it's mostly a CGI construct. There's definitely something weird going on there, because the shadows don't act quite right. Regardless, good bit of fun.

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2011
Printing Planes

Robert H. get's the coveted Gutenberg no-prize for bringing us a new look at where the 3D printing industry is at today. If it makes it easier to get parts for my funky old cars, I'm all for it!

Posted by scott at 07:23 AM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2011
Milling Miracle

Ever wonder how these small speed shops manage to make whole engines? No, the correct answer is, "yes, Scott, we've always wondered that!" So I'm gonna show you. Now I know a) how it's done and b) why the finished product is expensive. That said, even twenty years ago none of this was possible. Ten years from now I may be able to mail order the machines that'll do it. Technology rocks!

Posted by scott at 05:56 PM eMail this entry!
My Kind of Pagan... i

Chris gets the craziest no-prize of them all for bringing us news that Pagani motors are bringing their newest model to the US. It has 700 horsepower in a sub-3000 pound body. Top Gear regularly praises their utterly ridiculous nature, their lurid looks and shriekingly impossible performance just disconnect all rational thought in the male mind, apparently.

Well of course I want one. Duh.

Posted by scott at 08:57 AM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2011
Peeper Season Is Coming!

Posted by Ellen at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
On This Day

Nothing like a few minutes of color footage, with sound no less, to bring history back to life. It's all too easy to place the past between the pages of books, or on dusty black and white photographs. Stuff like this, of ordinary people living through an extraordinary time, is what makes it real.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2011
When Spoons Attack

A Malaysian man was saved from a marauding tiger by his wife's (presumably enthusiastic) application of a soup spoon. Doncha hate when you're out hunting squirrel and a tiger tries to eat you? Man, I do...

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2011
It's Like a Gargantuan Cracker Jack Box

Best. Auction. Evar! Buy a rusted '55 Dodge panel truck, get the rusted '76 Alfa Spider inside it for free! Quick! To the checkbook! Auction link, check it while it's hot.

Posted by scott at 07:21 AM eMail this entry!
Old Fly

I'll see your microcopter and raise you a forty year-old micro ornithopter. Like the miniature helicopter I fly today, outdoor duty for this bespoke dragonfly was precluded by even the slightest breeze, and so the project was canceled. There have been various rumors of bugs the size of, well, bugs for at least the past decade. Considering what unlimited cash could bring to the table forty years ago, I can't help but think modern versions are probably much smaller than even that.

Posted by scott at 07:03 AM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2011
Ooh... Shiny...

By using mirrored tiles and an old compact satellite dish, a teen in Indiana has created a solar reflector so powerful it'll melt rock. This sort of idea writ large featured prominently in a (very entertaining) John Ringo book I recently finished, Live Free or Die. I wonder if the architect was inspired by the author?

Posted by scott at 11:55 AM eMail this entry!
Mangos of DOOM!

Ares is has published a detailed examination of the radar which equips the Navy's new P-8 submarine patrol aircraft. I'm actually a bit surprised subs need to use periscopes at all nowadays. I was thinking by now they'd come up with some sort of wireless, or at least mast-less, solution.

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2011
Busted

Script kiddies beware: if you piss enough rich people off, often enough, they will decide it is cheaper to go after you than put up with you. As a former sysadmin, I can't say I'll shed a tear when the cops knock on their parent's basement door.

Posted by scott at 01:00 PM eMail this entry!
February 03, 2011
*Sniff* I Need A Tissue

The two quickly grew inseparable. Military dogs are supposed to sleep in kennels when deployed, but Rusk broke the rules and let Eli curl up with him on his cot. Other times, the dog took up the entire sleeping bag. Rusk ate ready-to-eat meals, so that's what Eli ate instead of dog food, Darrell Rusk said.

"Whatever is mine is his," Colton Rusk wrote on his Facebook page.

"You're going home and relaxing," said Kathy Rusk, leaning in close to Eli and rubbing his snout. "You're going home."

Posted by Ellen at 09:44 PM eMail this entry!
Oh, Dear

TOYZZZZ!!!!!

Posted by scott at 04:05 PM eMail this entry!
Car Fun

Alfa Romeo plans to show off a "more affordable" sports car at the Geneva Auto Show. Yes, technically $55,000 is more affordable than the 8C's $210,000, but it's still out of my reach. Still, 250+ horsepower in a car that weighs a little less than 1,800 pounds is pretty respectable. Maybe I'll be able to pick one up used a few years after they're introduced.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2011
Planet Scale

Ever wonder what any of the planets would look like if they orbited the Earth at the same distance the moon does? Well, ok, no, neither did I, but the resulting video is still fun to watch. I was a little disappointed there was no Saturn or Mercury, but I'll get over it.

Posted by scott at 06:20 AM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2011
Stilll Crazy, After All These Years

It looks like, even at age 73, Nicholson can charm the pants nearly off a woman sent to interview him. I've never completely understood his appeal, but I respect his talent. Like that matters, but hey, it's my blog, I'll link what I want to.

Posted by scott at 08:01 PM eMail this entry!
January 30, 2011
Jumpin Water Jets

Jet packs have always been limited by their tiny fuel supplies, until now. This has it all over being towed behind a boat in a parachute. Many more opportunities for ridiculous wipe-outs here!

Me: "Olivia! Look at this! Can I have one?"

Olivia: "No."

"Why not?"

"It's too expensive!"

"But it's so awesome!"

"You'd just end up breaking your neck."

Kids, I tell ya...

Posted by scott at 07:25 AM eMail this entry!
January 27, 2011
Dark Night's Dawn

So I've gone on record, more than once, that tiny RC helicopters are really all I'm out for. Then I see something like this, and, well, I'm still far, far from in the market for one, but I definitely see a purpose. This looks like an idea I and Joshua would cook up after a bike ride and a beer.

Posted by scott at 07:48 PM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2011
~ Floating Like a River ~

And now, a collection of very long exposure photos. At least some of them are also high dynamic range, which allows the colors to "pop" and makes them look like paintings. Regardless, very nifty!

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2011
A Closer Look At Snow

Just when you think your winter wonderland was becoming a huge pain in the ass, take a look at what it is really made out of.

Posted by Ellen at 10:35 AM eMail this entry!
January 22, 2011
Pasta on Ice

Damion gets a no-prize that'll make a really nice noise for bringing us some video of Ferrari's latest four seater, the FF. The styling is a little... unexpected, but I'm thinking it'll look nicer in person than it does in pictures. A car that costs more than your house? It's more likely than you think.

Posted by scott at 07:25 AM eMail this entry!
January 20, 2011
Robobuilders

Jeff gets a no-prize he can use to frighten the birds and get tangled in people's hair with for bringing us the latest news in autonomous quadcopter robotic constructor swarms. Yeah, you heard me, autonomous quadcopter robotic constructor swarms. A.Q.R.C.S has such a ring, don't you think? With video!

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2011
Portal Perqs

PlayStation 3 owners will get some nice features with their version of Portal 2. Which, when I read them, seem to be catching up with what Steam and your garden variety PC gamer have been able to do for awhile. Except the "save it anywhere, play it anywhere" bit. That does seem original. Come on, April!

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
Little Boots? That You?

The lost tomb of Caligula has been found, according to Italian police, after the arrest of a man trying to smuggle abroad a statue of the notorious Roman emperor recovered from the site.

A real life Raiders of The Lost Ark kind of adventure!

Posted by Ellen at 06:27 AM eMail this entry!
January 17, 2011
Arrr!!!

Archeologists have found what may be the hilt of the infamous pirate Blackbeard's sword. Or not, since it doesn't exactly have "property of BB" carved on it anywhere. At any rate, it's the most likely candidate they've found so far. That's good for something.

Posted by scott at 07:49 AM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2011
Yee-Haw!

Formula One will, finally, be broadcast in HD next season. The hold-up never did make much sense, but I guess there are more than your average set of requirements when the studio has to be moved every one or two weeks, sometimes half-way around the world.

Posted by scott at 11:05 AM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2011
Time to Shovel

Snow is now on the ground in 49 of the 50 US states. Climate change we can believe in! Quick! Raise taxes again before anyone notices!

Posted by scott at 07:23 AM eMail this entry!
Maybe Now It's Useful?

Looks like you can finally play Rock Band with a real guitar. Didn't watch the demo all the way through, but it looked like he wasn't playing actual cords there. Not sure if that's just the song, or if we've still got some developing to do before everyone's favorite party video game becomes a for-real teaching tool for the guitar.

Posted by scott at 07:01 AM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2011
Pick a Slab, Any Slab

Heading to New Orleans anytime soon? Check out The Graveyard Rabbit for all of your cemetery needs.

Posted by Ellen at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
January 07, 2011
What's Not to Like?

Turns out Bill Murray is about as laid back and fun as he seems on the screen. Although I'd think he was getting a little long in the tooth to hang out at a karaoke bar for four hours. Then again, why not?

Posted by scott at 06:26 AM eMail this entry!
January 06, 2011
Just Make Sure You're Wearing Pants

I'm vaguely surprised it's taken this long: Introducing a wooden chair with a flexible seat. Looks like it'd pinch, but what do I know?

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
January 02, 2011
WOOOO PIG! SOEY!

Funny Wedding Photos - This is What Wedding Cakes Look Like in Arkansas
see more Wedinator

I personally think it looks like one of those cheese logs.

Posted by Ellen at 07:52 AM eMail this entry!
January 01, 2011
And We Were Lucky!

It wasn't always thumb drives and SSDs. I'm pretty sure my next laptop will have a 256 GB solid state drive, which I suppose will be slightly larger than a match box.

Posted by scott at 09:55 AM eMail this entry!
December 31, 2010
~ 'Cause Jews / Just Wanna Have Fu-un ~

Impossible not to smile at this.

Via Yourish.

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
Bell Lab Memories

Seems all it takes is some well-preserved Kodachrome to bring the non-unwashed-hippie sixties back to life. I guess, if you wait long enough, style stops looking awful and just looks quaint.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
December 30, 2010
And the K'hids are All Right, Too

Usually the only way anyone in the US knows a country is doing OK is because nobody's mentioning it in the news. Heard much from Iraq lately? Some may say, "no thanks to us." But, you see, that's the point.

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
December 28, 2010
Your Thought for the Day

honor.jpg

A little wordy, but I'll take it. Via Guns, Holsters, and Gear.

Posted by scott at 06:55 AM eMail this entry!
Blue Ship, Red Ship, New Ship, Old Ship

Supposedly rare photos of the very first aircraft carrier landing have surfaced on the web. I'd seen a few of them before in various books, but others I hadn't. So, well, here ya go!

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
A Very Neat 20 Seconds

A time lapse video of the recent blizzard.

Posted by Ellen at 06:09 AM eMail this entry!
December 23, 2010
Foosa Say, "Oooh..." Foosa Say, "Ahhh..."

One of the nicer things about a big automotive anniversary is all the crazy one-offs that come out of hidden garages. More, and better, pictures are here. If I ever get a nice enough garage...

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
OOOOH!!! GIMME GIMME GIMME!

Daddy likes No, I'm not really in the market for an AR-15 with a .50 cal bolt-action upper. I live in Virginia. They don't make ranges big enough to let this thing stretch its legs. But I can dream!

Posted by scott at 07:03 AM eMail this entry!
Stick a Fork in 'em

The Democrats are done. "Most productive." Yeah, that's what I call sitting on the toilet, too. Produced pretty much the same thing. Even though we've put the grown-ups back in charge, I'm not going claim all will be Chocolate and Moonbeams. But it will be better, because it certainly couldn't...

Posted by scott at 06:56 AM eMail this entry!
December 22, 2010
BOOM!

I definitely get the idea that roadside bombs suck some fierce lemons, but this part of clearing them sure looks like fun. There's just something damned satisfying about creating enormous fireballs.

Posted by scott at 07:04 AM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2010
Chips Chips Everywhere

It looks like a keystone of the early 21st century will be the computerization of just about everything. Ellen would likely find the "storytelling tomb stone" the best, but personally I like the toilet that'll shut itself off if it starts to overflow. That would've made more than a few potty training incidents a lot less messy.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
December 18, 2010
Trickle Up, Trickle Down

This is easily the best distillation both of what I believe and what the left side of the peanut gallery's beliefs sound like to me. And, unlike most "attempts to explain" the PR staff over on the left side come up with, I don't think it's nasty or personal. Dialogs have been a powerful way of exploring ideas for more than two thousand years, and this one's no different.

Via (initially) Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 07:16 AM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2010
Sounds Like a Plan to Me

What, you mean all this time troops didn't already have "armoured codpieces?" A set of bike shorts that can stand up to that sort of treatment would likely even be popular in the civilian world. It certainly would've saved me some road rash and entertainingly-sited bruises when I had my off last season.

Posted by scott at 12:12 PM eMail this entry!
December 16, 2010
Your Thought for the Day

giulia.jpg
Posted by scott at 07:19 PM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2010
Meanwhile, in the Rest of America

Census data has revealed segregation has reached 100-year lows in 75 out of 100 major metropolitan markets. Bonus: due to economic growth, most of these cities are in the south and west.

Posted by scott at 07:10 AM eMail this entry!
December 14, 2010
I Didn't Know You Could Play A Uke Like This!

Posted by Ellen at 07:16 AM eMail this entry!
December 13, 2010
Big Bang

And now Ares has video of that 33 megajoule shot from a Navy experimental rail gun. Flinging a projectile 200 miles and have it arrive doing Mach 7 is pretty damned impressive. If they ever manage to mount one on a ship, I propose Dreadnought as the name.

Posted by scott at 07:05 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2010
Celebrity Sighting!

33791_10150113009981788_734831787_8159564_3605145_n.jpg

That's right! Pierce Morgan from "Americas Got Talent!"

We spotted him at The Old Ebbit Grill in Washington DC!

Posted by Ellen at 08:20 PM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2010
A Clockwork Lego

The world's oldest known computing device has been recreated in Lego. Recreated functionally, but not (apparently) an exact duplicate. Then again, since the original is pretty squashed, maybe a functional replica will do just fine.

Posted by scott at 05:22 PM eMail this entry!
Custer's Flag

The flag is known to be the only one flown by Custer's troops that was not destroyed or captured by the Native Americans who overwhelmed the US troops in the battle in what is now the western state of Montana.

What gives me a warm fuzzy is that it sold higher than Michael Jackson's glove.

Posted by Ellen at 07:33 AM eMail this entry!
December 10, 2010
Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Bunch of Guys

Mike J. gets the Trinity no-prize for bringing us news that the "stuxnet" virus seems to still be a problem for the Iranian nuclear program. Could we actually be lucky enough to defuse this situation with just a computer program? It'd be nice if we could.

Posted by scott at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
December 09, 2010
My Kind of Vending Machine

Pennsylvania has decided to expand its elaborate vending machine beer and wine machine into Walmart stores. I actually saw one of these things on a Modern Marvels show dedicated to vending machines. It's an incredibly elaborate answer to the incredibly elaborate problem posed by PA's drinking laws. That the whole problem could be solved quickly and cheaply by changing the laws seems not to have occurred to anyone. Well, anyone important, at any rate.

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2010
Nice Work, if You Can Get It

Well, hey, how else are we gonna know about fifty models all climbing into bed together? Those stories don't just write themselves, you know! (SFW)

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2010
Gotta Start Somewhere

While I'd rather the location look a little less seedy, I'll definitely count this as progress. There's supposed to be a Fiat dealership starting around here, too, but it seems to be run by a holding company I'm not familiar with. I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled!

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
December 03, 2010
Is It Green?

Yes.

Posted by scott at 03:56 PM eMail this entry!
Sky Mall

And now, some absolutely spectacular pictures of thunderstorms on the plains. I'm pretty sure they've been massaged at least a little in photoshop. I'm also pretty sure completely unretouched they're still spectacular shots.

Posted by scott at 07:02 AM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2010
BFG, FTW!

The Army has announced the deployment of an all new hand-held infantry cannon. I've been watching segments about "smart rounds" on various Discovery channel tech porns documentaries for a few years now. It's nice to see them actually making it to the field, although I can't help but wonder just how much more expensive the ammo is for this thing than for, say, your garden variety M4.

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
December 01, 2010
Born on the Bayeux

Nothing like a bit of CGI fun to bring the art, and enormity, of a classic to life. What I find at least as remarkable is this most iconic tapestry of the middle ages sat unremarked and unexamined for some seven hundred years after it was created. It almost literally sat in a box so long that its true origins have long been lost, and we are left with speculation. Sometimes simple survival can be a remarkable thing.

Via Violins and Starships.

Posted by scott at 07:19 AM eMail this entry!
Sammich, M-F'er, Do You Speak It?!?

And in the, "yeah right, your food is way healthier than ours" category, we have fifteen sandwiches from around the world. Some of them look and/or sound pretty good, but most definitely don't sound healthy. Oh, and would someone chase the UK out of the kitchen? French fry sandwiches sound about as appealing as poutine, to me at least.

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2010
Ticket Progress

It would seem Obama's new space policy is already quietly doing its work. Of course, Virgin hinting they're working on an orbital component is emphatically not the same thing as Virgin having an orbital component, but do you really think they'd even be mulling it over without the prospect of a fat government contract in the offing? Hey, it worked for commercial flight in the 20th century. Who's to say it won't work for spaceflight in the 21st?

Posted by scott at 07:12 AM eMail this entry!
November 29, 2010
Sim Time

Leave it to Top Gear to finally test if skills gained in a racing simulator translate to real-world speed. The answer is about what sim junkies like I expect... the parts of racing which are mostly mental can most definitely be acquired sitting behind a desk, but the important stuff that's mostly physical can't. Hey, there's a reason F-1 guys use these tools too, ya know?

Posted by scott at 07:03 AM eMail this entry!
November 25, 2010
Donations For The Pony!

Can I get an awww....

Tiny horses that ring bells...CUTE!!

Posted by Ellen at 07:38 PM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2010
I Can See My H'ouse From Here!

Another day, another poster-worthy shot from space. Dubai seems to have set out to become the coolest Arab country on the planet. So far, it seems to be succeeding.

Posted by scott at 07:14 AM eMail this entry!
November 22, 2010
Mada-hoo-ha???

Robert H. gets a no-prize that's just as good the second time around for bringing us another look at Mercedes' new, green, super show car. Me, I still can't make out where it exactly touches the ground. A nation of toymakers figuring out how to defy gravity? I promise you it has three times as many parts as it really needs, takes twice as many people as it should to put together, and will last for a thousand years. Five years later the Japanese will build one that does 80% what this does for 20% of the cost that will last longer than you will. The Americans will build one that reaches 200 mph in five seconds but kill you if you try to turn it. The Swedes will keep it from rusting for a millennia while the British will figure out how to make it rust under the six inches of oil it just leaked out.

The Italians? Oh, the Italians will make one that you'll want to sell your right foot just to touch and trounce the Germans on any race track of your choosing four years after everyone had written it off as obsolete, right up until the doors fall off. Because, let's say it all together... "they will make it be, all it can be... briefly."

Posted by scott at 08:08 PM eMail this entry!
November 20, 2010
Fiat R Here

As part of the run-up to the LA auto show, Fiat group has finally announced exactly where their dealers will be located in the US. One's going to end up about fifteen minutes from our house! Can I get a "woot-woot?!?" Aww, yeah...

Posted by scott at 04:50 PM eMail this entry!
November 19, 2010
There Goes My Hero

Mark gets a damned impressive no-prize for bringing us video of an armless pistol shooter. No, really! Hell, I have trouble loading up a clip with my hands. Just a heckuva thing, s'all I'm sayin'...

Posted by scott at 06:56 PM eMail this entry!
Night Lights

While using a bajillion-dollar space station as a glorified camera brace may seem a bit ridiculous, the results are nevertheless spectacular. I could see turning at least a few of those into posters.

Posted by scott at 07:09 AM eMail this entry!
November 17, 2010
November 16, 2010
Let's Hear it for Old Cars!

Even though the subject of the article mostly works on Lancias, this profile of a typical old-car mechanic still reveals at least some of the reasons why we put up with these blasted cars. Heck, I even know exactly what he's doing when he's putting the thermostatic actuator on the lathe. I'm not completely clear as to why, but I have some ideas. For me, there's also this bar conversation:

Guy 1: "Well, my Chevy..."

Guy 2: "Well, my Audi..."

Guy 3: "Well, my Honda..."

Me: "Well, my Alfa Romeo..."

Yeah, I know, but if I actually did get out more you wouldn't come around as much!

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
Since Scott Is Such A Huge Marching Band Fan

Redskins Marching Band members are volunteers who have day jobs as teachers, band directors, school board members and judges. Some are retired and many of them were trained in military marching bands. Although no one gets paid for their time, every band member gets a pair of tickets to each home game that they can give to friends or family members — or sell with the team's blessing — at their discretion.

Get ready. It's from NPR, so get your head phones out if you are at work to listen!

Posted by Ellen at 05:46 AM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2010
WWAHHHH!!!!

"Cold and nice," he said after giving his coach, Jordan Wood, who swam with him, a very wet high-five when they hit the sand.

And the sound you hear are thousands of triathletes crying.

Posted by Ellen at 08:39 PM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2010
Your Thought for the Day

Posted by scott at 06:02 PM eMail this entry!
Have Scooter, will Travel

Problem: too blotto to drive, but don't want the hassle of coming back in the morning to get your car. Solution: a guy with a clown-scooter and a $20 bill. How anything like this can get past the acres of red tape imposed by local, state, and federal governments, let alone various transportation unions, I never will understand. But hey, more power to him!

Posted by scott at 03:39 PM eMail this entry!
November 12, 2010
Let Me Count the Ways

Ron gets a no-prize that all true petrol heads must own at least once to be taken seriously for bringing us the top 40 reasons "to be an Alfa-holic." The slideshow includes stylish accessories and the obligatory hot Italian chicks. All in all, A Good Thing.

Posted by scott at 06:13 PM eMail this entry!
November 06, 2010
Joos... In... Alfas!!!

See! See! It's not just nutty people in the US who keep up with these dratted cars. They get the best of all worlds... import US cars, and new Alfas. But we'll be getting them soon too, oh yes we will...

Posted by scott at 10:16 PM eMail this entry!
Mac-Who?

Mike J. gets a no-prize that uses a really annoying sound to make a really neat point for bringing us this brief, but vivid, demonstration of "the McGurk effect." It would seem our perception of language relies more on vision than would at once seem to be the case. I wonder what the implications are for blind people?

Posted by scott at 07:12 AM eMail this entry!
November 05, 2010
WHEE!!!

Cool only because nobody got hurt... Look, everybody! This is the race series Ellen really REALLY wants to become a part of. This wasn't too bad. In other parts of Europe, the would've twirled over a couple hundred spectators before they hit the ground.

Posted by scott at 08:42 PM eMail this entry!
November 03, 2010
Mah Fast Fud, Let Me Show U It

Ah, Yellowstone. The trees. The cliffs. The geysers. The grizzly bears chasing par-boiled bison down the highways. I dunno. To me there's nothing that yells, "get out of the f'ing way!" quite as loudly as a ton of herbivore being chased by half a ton of predator.

Posted by scott at 02:59 PM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2010
60 Minutes Does Top Gear

Thank goodness for the internet, without which we would have completely missed 60 Minutes' profile of our favorite show, Top Gear. The, I don't know, six of you, left whom we have not completely converted into fans of this show may finally be able to understand What it's All About. The rest can have fun watching what in many ways is a very articulate (and enjoyable!) highlight reel, with some behind-the-scenes looks at just what makes the thing tick.

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2010
Pow Pow Pumpkin

Mark gets a no-prize that must be pointed down range at all times for bringing us a very alternative way of carving a pumpkin. Seems kind of an expensive way to go about it, but hey, it's his gun, his ammo, and his pumpkin.

Posted by scott at 06:27 AM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2010
Die, Drive, Die

Ever wonder how long your flash/jump/thumb/whatever-you-call-it drive will last? It would seem the answer is, a lot longer than you probably think. The graphs are particularly interesting. Well, ok, the graphs are just about the only meaningful thing on there, for me anyway.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2010
Zoom, Sip, Zoom

Making the rounds: through a combination of various technologies, Mazda has created a gasoline-powered sedan that they claim gets 70 mpg. I got yer "mandate technology to achieve policy ends" refutation right there, bub.

Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2010
Cam Car!

I've always wondered how Top Gear got such spectacular shots when filming their road tests. Now I know. I wonder how much practice it takes to get a $400,000 camera to skim an inch away from a car going 60+ mph? More than I have, I'm sure.

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
October 21, 2010
Farting Garden Gnome?

I have seen it all.

I hate gnomes.

Posted by Ellen at 07:56 PM eMail this entry!
About Darned Time

The Car Lust guys have finally added another Alfa to their list of reviews, and you'll never guess the one they picked. I'm sure Ellen prefers Clarkson's "symphony of evil in black" than the author's "lady in red," but that's more personal preference and the color of the one we bought.

Posted by scott at 10:38 AM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2010
Oh HELL Yeah

Nothing like a full-scale replica of a Fallout 3 plasma rifle to end the middle of the week. I'm strictly a kit-based kind of model builder. Scratchbuilding stuff like this is way beyond me, but I sure do admire the skill it takes.

Posted by scott at 08:30 PM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2010
Pretty Pictures

As part of its centenary celebration, Alfa Romeo has commissioned the man who helped define the look of Avatar to take a crack at imaging iconic models of its range. Quick! Let the snark begin! Me, I think they're all pretty darned nifty, especially the next-to-last one. Unfortunately, since prices start at about $275, it doesn't look like I'll pick a copy up any time soon. But there is Christmas to think about, eh?

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
Oh, I'm Definitely Detecting Nuttiness

See! See! We are not even close to the only Alfa lunatics on the planet! And heck, she even owns a Milano just like ours, except with about 220,000 miles less on it. The comments are nearly as good, with the occasional, "wtf?!? Those suck!!!" only occasionally interrupting the sighs of longing or the "LEARN FROM ME, AND BEWARE! AND SELL ME YOURS!" notes from current owners.

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2010
BMG? How Aboug BFG?

Remember last week, when you guys were grousing that an AR-15 modified to shoot a .50 cal pistol round wouldn't be a patch on to one modified to shoot the big .50 rounds? Yeah, about that... This one probably shoots through ten schools.

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 09:53 AM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2010
Old that's New

Two sections of the Colosseum have been re-opened to the public. Bonus: standard reporter gaffe, claiming gladiators fought in the dungeons. These people do have editors, right?

Posted by scott at 06:58 AM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2010
Lost Data? What Lost Data?

So, I think the next time someone starts rattling a tin cup labeled, "For Want of a CD-ROM Drive, All Digital Media Is Unreachable" at me, looking for a grant, I'll pull out this story of a guy who managed to reconstruct the sounds created by a technique never meant to be played back in the first place. Created in the 1860s, no less. "Yes yes, " I can hear them sneer, "but that's analog! We're panicking over digital media!"

Fear not, my 21st century chicken little. As long as the media survives, there will always be the ability to read it.

Posted by scott at 06:18 PM eMail this entry!
These Guys Sure do Get Around

Looks like the second unit from the next Transformers movie spent a few days poking around LC 39. Having the space shuttle end up a transformer would be cool, although I'd think that, after 20+ years of taking them half apart and putting them back together again, someone over in the service bays would've noticed something.

They're damned sneaky, those transformers...

Posted by scott at 07:08 AM eMail this entry!
Well Whaddya Know... They Are Useful for Something

A famous (I guess) hip-hop artist helped talk a guy down off a roof yesterday. The timing couldn't be better, since said artist's probation hearing on a weapons violation happens this week.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
October 13, 2010
Modern Homebuilt

And now, a car that looks like it was built in the 1950s made from materials undreamt of until the 21st century. A basic exotic so tough you can literally bounce rocks off it? Sign me the heck up, too!

Posted by scott at 12:20 PM eMail this entry!
Candidate: 1, Maddow: 0

Just because they're new candidates, doesn't mean they can't run an unprepared talk show host straight into the ground. A more masterful leverage of a satellite delay I have yet to see. She's obviously much more comfortable browbeating people in her studio. Charisma, good looks, and the novelty of the TV studio experience doesn't work as well to intimidate people when they're remote, everyone knows that. I'll bet her producer was crapping bricks about what Maddow would do to him or her once the interview was done. Don't mess with old men from the northwest, they're tougher than they look.

Posted by scott at 09:09 AM eMail this entry!
The Perfect Alaskan Ride?

Personally, I can think of no better fate for a 76 Mazda mini-truck than to be converted into a Radio Flyer wagon. In Alaska. You remember those people who said Alaskans were quirky? Yeah, well, there ya go.

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
October 12, 2010
That's MISTER Super Car to You, Bub

Not content with a car that makes, count them, 1001 horsepower, Bugatti has upped the ante with a "super sport" version of the Veyron. A four thousand pound car that can go zero to sixty in 2.3 seconds pretty much defines "f-ing sled" in my book. And, before you ask, even at 1/10th the price neither of us could afford one. But we can't afford a Saturn V either, and that doesn't make those any LESS cool, know'wha'ah'mean?

Posted by scott at 06:41 PM eMail this entry!
Paging the Frisco Kid, White Courtesy Phone Please

An ancient Torah that's spent its life avoiding one attempt to destroy it after another is being repaired for daily use at a US synagogue. Even a quick review of European history will make it clear it's a wonder anything that can burn ever survived at all.

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
The More You Know...

Sometimes the old days could be good, as when a manual for, "farming with dynamite" was up at the front of the store, with the actual stuff somewhere in the back. Authored by DuPont, naturally. Yeah, take away all the deadly infectious diseases, the near-complete lack of appliances, and infant mortality and the turn of the last century could be pretty fun sometimes.

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2010
Don't Tell Billy

For the apocalypse-fearer on a budget, Costco will now sell one year's worth of dehydrated and freeze-dried food for just $799. As I recall, and I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong, my father-in-law became convinced that the Y2K (remember that?) bug would unleash Armageddon, and he stocked up accordingly. I think he burned the last of his stacked firewood last year, and I'm pretty sure there's still a few cases of oatmeal in the garage.

Me? Oh hell, if I had a place to put it all I'd probably buy it just to say I did. That, and goof on super-campers Ron and Amber about how prepared I was. As if...

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
October 07, 2010
Spitterdogen

Posted by Ellen at 08:43 PM eMail this entry!
I Shall Call it, "Nerfsentry"

There seems to be no end to the adaptations of everyone's favorite chain-fed nerf gun. Jeff's had one for ages. I think he might actually be a little disappointed it's possible to do something useful with it. That really wasn't the point.

Posted by scott at 06:32 PM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2010
The Church on the Hill

I've read more than my fair share of accounts of the Black Death. The ones specializing in England always liked to emphasize how, even to this day, there are deserted places with just a hollowed out church, where a village used to live. Which, in this "modren" age, I always asked, "well, where???" Ha... how about here.

I'm sure everyone in the UK grew up living with this stuff. I'm fascinated by it, but in such a horribly sad way. A thousand year old church, with wind blowing through the hollow spaces, because all the parishioners died just two hundred years later. And now a farmer's combine grumbles past it, because it's easier than knocking the forgotten thing down.

It echoes, like an old bruise...

Posted by scott at 10:46 PM eMail this entry!
Must... Not... Use... For Evil...

One day, hundreds of years from now, people will look back and say this, this was the time, when the first for-real Genesis Device started on the road to reality. A plot device in the next Die Hard movie? Hey, folks, you heard it here first.

And that, friends, is why incentives will always trump design bureaus.

Posted by scott at 06:40 PM eMail this entry!
You're Gonna Love the Title of this Place

Presenting Hidden Bush, wherein an intrepid reporter fulfills their monthly 3000 word article requirement. Did I mention Hidden Bush was a nudist camp? What a clever name! Again, article is SFW. I seem to remember reading a similar article twenty, maybe thirty years ago. Seems like nudists, at least, haven't changed all that much.

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2010
That Will Do, Nicely

An M4 rifle with a .50 cal... rrrm... "bit that shoots?" It's more likely than you think! Yeah, apologies to my gun nut buds, total term fail there. Having fired my brother's "deagle" a few times, yeah... seems like most of that ur-gun's impact comes from the round, because that video SURE brought back memories.

No worries, I already know it's more than I can afford.

Posted by scott at 10:09 PM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2010
Out My Window

47067_488194941787_734831787_7546668_728454_n.jpg

Got this pix outside my car window today!

Posted by Ellen at 09:04 PM eMail this entry!
Sintel

A long time ago, you needed a talented team and one helluva lot of cash to make a CGI movie. The talent, you still need that. The cash, though, not so much. I'm thinking that nifty little fantasy adventure short was helped along greatly by the music, but you'd expect a hi-fi nerd like me to say that. Recommended.

Posted by scott at 06:45 PM eMail this entry!
Dig Em' Up!

Amenhotep III, who lived until 1352 BC, was hardly a modest king. Hawass said there is an "overwhelming amount of statuary" depicting the ruler, who was the father of Amenhotep IV, better known as Akhenaten. There may be other statues of him at the site, according to the council's statement.

Dug up in Luxor, Egypt...not Vegas.

Posted by Ellen at 07:15 AM eMail this entry!
Haikyo

I would've thought Japan far too organized to allow anything to actually become ruins. Turns out not only do they have them, they're well organized and comparatively safe. You know, like the rest of the country. Keep an eye out for tentacles though, that's all I'll say.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
October 03, 2010
Restore, or Re-Work?

Jeremy Clarkson is weighing in on the whole, "restore vs. resto-mod" debate. Me? I tend to value originality, and the market my cars play in does too. That said, I also think modifications which materially improve the car while also being true to its nature are also to be admired. Putting a Chevy 350 V-8 in a Jaguar XJS sedan I think is a pretty horrible thing to do, but putting a monster Alfa V6 in a tiny Alfa sports car (and, if you follow that thread, f-all else to it) is fine. Doing things to fix things that were actual mistakes in the original engineering, like the fixes on the E-type Jeremy mentions, are more than fine as well.

But, ultimately, I've come around to the opinion that, "it's your car, do what you want to it." I admire any modification when it's done well, and I laugh uproariously at any that are done poorly. Take care of it, and don't half-ass anything.

Posted by scott at 08:10 AM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2010
Lambo Love

There's show cars, and then there's show cars. 0-60 in 2.5 seconds is completely mad, and unfortunately it costs more than my house, so that plan goes out the window. Ah well, fun to look at!

Posted by scott at 01:09 PM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2010
My Kind of Hybrid

Meet the Jaguar C-X75, a technology demonstration car that's part electric, part jet. Yep, jet. Instead of the more common reciprocating engine, engineers have instead fitted a gas turbine to help extend the otherwise pitiable range of 68 miles to a much more comforting 500+. It's a show car, it doesn't have a price tag. Still, I can't imagine it'd be a particularly quiet car.

Posted by scott at 06:25 AM eMail this entry!
September 30, 2010
How *DARE* They!

Democrats have struck a deal with Republicans to prevent the Obama administration from making any more recess appointments before the election. But... But... that means he'll have to respect the constitution's balance of power! He won't be able to use the notes Chavez gave him at their last meeting! How can he ram more progressives through with the senate in the way?!?

Racists.

Posted by scott at 07:01 AM eMail this entry!
Best Food Name Evar

Introducing the bacorndog, which is exactly what you think it is, and, by all accounts, just as tasty. I'll stick with my super BLTs, but this is definitely an intriguing idea.

Posted by scott at 06:27 AM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2010
World's Scariest Bridges
Posted by Ellen at 08:16 PM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2010
Neat Idea, Unfortunate Name

Meet your next future commuting tool, the schweeb. No, really! These words are all fun and games to type, but actually saying them? Not so much.

Posted by scott at 07:14 AM eMail this entry!
September 21, 2010
Why Goofy Italian Boxes Rock

There's 50/50 weight distribution, and then there's 50/50 weight distribution. Peel the 5 mph battering rams off, pile on various CF body panels, plunk a 24 valve lump under the hood, and dang, dude, you've got a car!

Of course, the windows will stop rolling down after a few weeks and the power steering will start leaking a few days after that, but who cares about THAT???

Posted by scott at 10:52 PM eMail this entry!
September 18, 2010
You Say That Like it's a Bad Thing

Latest rumor: the next-gen Dodge Viper looks to be based on the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. Just how deep the resemblance will go is still unclear. Taking such an iconic American concept and underpinning it with Italian design and engineering* seems risky, but if the result is smaller, lighter, faster, and better, I think it'll work.

-----
* Ok, are you finished laughing now? Because, trust me, nobody who has to challenge race cars designed and engineered by Italians laughs at them.

Posted by scott at 08:04 AM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2010
My Kind of Walker

Honda and a Japanese university have developed working prototypes of mobility-enhancing exoskeletons. Allowing old folks the ability to get around with ease and efficiency is admirable, but I can't shake the thought that the Honda device, at least, looks rather... embarrassing. Like something's grabbing the person's crotch, that sort of thing.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2010
Finally Someone Does Something Useful with One

Making Future Magic: iPad light painting from Dentsu London on Vimeo.

I got to play with one of these things over a weekend, because my workplace is tinkering with various sorts of touch technology. My take? Well, it's made me a lot more interested in the Kindle, but as a substitute for a lighter, faster, laptop? I just can't do without a touch keyboard, sorry.

Posted by scott at 08:26 PM eMail this entry!
September 12, 2010
Battery Acid Lake

Introducing Kawah Ijen Volcano and its lake of sulfuric acid. Yeah, putting a boat in that and paddling around? Doesn't strike me as the brightest adventure idea. I bet it did all sorts of fun things to the gear, too.

Posted by scott at 10:21 AM eMail this entry!
September 11, 2010
Pipistrello Mobile

Bertone's got a new commission from Alfa Romeo, and the results are just as spectacular as you'd imagine. Go for the wild Italian take on a Batmobile, stay for a demonstration of how the doors work. Whole side of the car comes open!

Posted by scott at 03:16 PM eMail this entry!
Travel Movie

Surprising, I know, but in spite of what the media tells us America is still very much alive, all across the country. Governments are bastards, always have always will be. The proper judge of a people is how they treat strangers just passing through.

Posted by scott at 07:36 AM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2010
Whoa...

Sometimes words simply cannot a thing justice. And props to the helicopter pilot, who surfed the same wave nearly as well!

Posted by scott at 08:04 PM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2010
A Musuem, for Comrades

Not only did the Soviet Union produce video games, there's a museum just outside of Moscow where you can play them. The pictures are there, you just have to scroll down a bit. As expected, they're enormous, utilitarian, and unreliable. Surprisingly, though, they also seem to be quite fun.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
September 07, 2010
~ Hold Your Breath / It Gets Better ~

It would seem that the Democrats haven't just raveled up the biggest mandate in forty-six years and dropped it in the deep end of the pot, they've timed it such that my side will get to un-do at least a decade of carefully engineered gerrymandering. Ok, ok, if it'll make the left side of the peanut gallery stop shrieking... *AHEM*

His failure is now complete...

I know, I know. I don't have the budget to do the breathing noises. Whaddaya want???

Posted by scott at 10:33 PM eMail this entry!
The Color of History

Just in time for the 70th anniversary, rare color footage of the London Blitz has been discovered. It's quite startling what can sometimes be found in the back of an attic, eh?

Posted by scott at 06:27 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2010
TOIYZ!

Just the name, "Quadricopter," sounds cool. When I found out it's an indoor outdoor radio controlled helicopter with wireless video?!? Well... What's that? Only works for iPoadiphones? Bah. An Android version can't be far behind.

Posted by scott at 04:45 PM eMail this entry!
September 03, 2010
That's the Real Treasure

Not content with finding two-century old champagne in the belly of a shipwreck, salvagers also found a case of beer underneath it. Bonus: it's the Baltic, so the super-cold temperatures may very well have prevented any sort of spoilage. Of course, it also probably prevented any sort of aging, so I'd put my money on it tasting not much different from the day it went to the bottom. Could be good, could be bad. Ya just never know.

Posted by scott at 06:33 PM eMail this entry!
Words I Never Expected to See in the Same Sentence

In the, "well, why not?" category, we have a NASCAR reality show on BET. One of the fastest drivers in the world, Lewis Hamilton, is a black kid who grew up north of London, and Indycar has Danica and the quick rookie De Silvestro. It'd be great to see another big motorsports series broadening its horizons. Olivia is certainly much more interested in the aforementioned Indycar because there are girls driving in it.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
September 02, 2010
Fire Tornado
Posted by Ellen at 07:39 PM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2010
Nat Geo, Natch

There are photography archives, and then there are National Geographic photography archives. The pictures are dramatic, and usually the story behind how they were taken is, too.

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2010
YUM!!

cute food photos - Loch Ness Cupcakes
see more EpiCute
Posted by Ellen at 09:59 PM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2010
Cake WIN!

Funny Wedding Photos - My Favorite Fable! The Tortoise and the Wedding Cake!
see more Wedinator
Posted by Ellen at 11:02 PM eMail this entry!
Heckuva Pastry there, Lou

Fans and/or residence of "The OC of New York" may be interested to hear that the world's largest cannoli was created at a nearby local bakery. There are noms, there are NOMS, and then there are Yankee Noms...

Posted by scott at 04:53 PM eMail this entry!
Alfa Update

Journalists are now openly talking about Alfa having a central role in Fiat's revival plans for North America. On the one hand, sounds like great news. On the other, it sounds rather a lot like pinning your hopes for success on your tacky, somewhat loopy old aunt.

Posted by scott at 08:47 AM eMail this entry!
Queen's Pictures

Hey, look, the Queen of England wasn't always a little old lady. Even now, she has a smile that impresses. I guess some things really do breed true.

Posted by scott at 07:59 AM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2010
Musems... Yeah, That's What It's for, Museums...

Star Trek's holodeck technology appears to have taken another step toward reality. In college I once speculated that one day I'd be able to tour the Pyramids just as they appeared when new. It looks like I was off by a generation, but only by one.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
August 25, 2010
Forever Car

Ok, suddenly the Cruiser doesn't look so worn: here's a guy with a Volvo who's rolled the odometer over three hundred times. Of course, it's a Volvo, but it is one of the sportier "svëdish pëpl haf a sëns of stilë třř, ya?" models. For comparison, our Spider will be turning forty this October, and has 3% of that Volvo's mileage. Which is, of course, why it's still around.

Posted by scott at 06:25 PM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2010
Vertical Gymnastics

I don't really know quite what to make of this, but it looks tough and potentially injury-causing. Ellen kept trying to dance to the music.

Posted by scott at 07:06 PM eMail this entry!
August 18, 2010
Old School

It seems like cars aren't the only things that last forever in the desert sun. I especially like the old scribblings on the chalk board, and the graffiti from 1968. Vandals, maybe, but they seem to have eye toward preservation, eh?

Posted by scott at 05:50 AM eMail this entry!
August 17, 2010
Definitely Better Than Their Last Try

Yes, the new Morgan EvaGT is a darned beautiful thing. And nowhere near as mad as their last effort, at least in the looks department. Oh, don't bother to ask how much it is. The Hamster can afford one, but not the likes of you and me. Still, it is awfully easy on the eyes.

Posted by scott at 04:13 PM eMail this entry!
Cheap Shots

Looks like it's more than possible to convert an AR-15 assault rifle to shoot uber-cheap .22 LR rounds. I'm sure this is old hat to the gun nuts in the audience, but it were news to me! And for 1/10th the cost, I'm thinking giving up the big bang and kick, at least for some kinds of practice, is worth it.

Posted by scott at 03:18 PM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2010
Life in Miniature

The things that have found a home on the internet often surprise me. Well, you know, aside from the tentacle stuff and the guy with the extra... but I digress. Anyway, one of the GOOD things is a collection of the Sheperd Paine Monogram diorama sheets. I pored over these things for hours at a time back in the 70s. Just looking at them takes me right back to the floor of my old playroom, sitting cross-legged on the tile floor.

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
August 14, 2010
Speaking of "Redux"

Spy photos seem to indicate Fiat is going ahead with plans for a limited production Lancia Stratos "revival." The original was a dominant force in 70s rallies. Since it's rumored to cost more than Alfa's new 8C, I'm even less likely to own one. Ah, well...

Posted by scott at 01:05 PM eMail this entry!
Plasma Redux

It was once thought to be the "dead man walking" of flat-screen technologies, but now a new manufacturing technique may cause the price of large plasma screens to plummet. A revolution in manufacturing is what caused large LCD prices to drop. It's nice to see something similar happening for this older technology. Competition is good!

Posted by scott at 12:20 PM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2010
Super Machine

The next generation of vending machines is premiering at a Tokyo train station near you. A vending machine that suddenly opens its eyes and looks around is way too "Skynet" for me. Plus the potential of a giant LCD screen strapped onto one of those infamous panty dispensers is just mind-boggling.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
August 11, 2010
Sweet, Sweet Music

Democrats on the hill are now apparently in full panic mode. Yeah, I know, source isn't exactly unbiased. Still, for someone who had to watch them all dancing a bacchanalia celebrating "a new era of progressive power", who had to hear over and over and over again how Republicans would have to embrace the new paradigm or face a generation in the woods. Well...

HA HA!

Posted by scott at 08:54 PM eMail this entry!
Where's My Checkbook?

This week Pebble Beach is having it's world-famous concours (fancy word for, "car show"). WSJ is taking a quick look at just what's for sale at the auction. Yes, there's an Alfa there, dur. A whole bunch of other stuff too. Unfortunately, no pictures. Of all the times to skip them...

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
August 10, 2010
Football of DOOOOMMM!!!

Meanwhile, developments continue in how best to introduce various mujjis to their assorted virgins. Dig all the mass graves you want, Persians, it ain't going to be our boys that'll be in them. Come to think of it, it won't be yours buried in them, either. We're getting to the point we can drop a bomb on you, and your buddies, when you're driving to your "private" opium den. Sleep well!

Posted by scott at 08:22 PM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2010
In Honor Of Shark Week

Posted by Ellen at 06:27 PM eMail this entry!
August 07, 2010
Mini Monkey

Today's "head explodes with candy" moment is brought to you by a failed smuggling attempt in Chile. Yeah, that'd be all I need. A pet with thumbs. Ahem, all together now, "no, Ellen, you can't have one."

Posted by scott at 10:51 AM eMail this entry!
August 06, 2010
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

A Chinese transportation firm is planning to build buses that travel over traffic. It's not clear to me if these are genuine road-going buses, or some sort of hybrid rail-like system. Still, it does make for an interesting idea. As long as, you know, you go first.

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
Smashing Good Fun

What good is owning a high-speed camera if you can't make films of people smashing stuff? Ellen would likely use it to film endless reels of cats walking around, but you already knew that, eh?

Posted by scott at 06:57 AM eMail this entry!
Yes, Yes I Do.

And some people think my job is this.

Yes, yes I do pet fluffy kittens. I'm not a Dr, I'm and Licensed Veterinary Technician. What I cannot do is perform surgery, write a diagnosis, or prescribe medicine. What I do is laboratory diagnostics, anesthesia, dentistry, comfort someone who has to make the decision to let their dying pet go, perform xray diagnostics, be that surgical nurse, and be physician's PE and RN all at once.

Do you really get to see me in the hospital? Probably not. I am the person in the back that takes care of your pet while your vet is glorified.

Next time your at the vet's office think of that.

And yes, I get to pet fluffy kittens. Does a 'real DR' or nurse do that?

Didn't think so.

Posted by Ellen at 06:16 AM eMail this entry!
August 05, 2010
Smash 'em Up

Those of you who aren't regular viewers of Mythbusters can now check out, ever so briefly, their general awesomeness. A season or two later, they tried the same thing, but instead of a flat plate they used a blade, proving they can in fact double the awesomeness of a rocket smashing a car.

Posted by scott at 06:55 AM eMail this entry!
August 04, 2010
Hell, I Didn't Even Know It was Glass

Turns out that little computer Ellen insists on calling, "my phone" has got a glass face stronger than steel on it. A kind of glass that was patented forty years ago, no less. Intellectual property, FTW!!!

Posted by scott at 10:32 PM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2010
Fading Memories

I'm surprised it's taken this long for someone to fade old WWII pictures into modern ones, but I'm glad they did. The results are truly fascinating, and graphically show how humans can bounce back from the most amazing tragedies. When they're allowed to, that is.

Posted by scott at 08:12 PM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2010
Daddy Likes

Who knew Vader's car was an Aston? See? See? I do occasionally mention cars that aren't made by Alfa!

Posted by scott at 07:20 PM eMail this entry!
Maybe They Should Call it, "Legorama?"

While waiting for Futurama to return to the airwaves, one enterprising, and patient, man decided to see just how detailed he could get recreating the "New New York" of the series. All I ever managed to do with the dratted things was build walls and step on them.

Posted by scott at 06:46 AM eMail this entry!
July 30, 2010
A Fickle Finger, Indeed

Kevin gets a no-prize that'll crash a dinner party and then snarl about how the English have no balls for bringing us a first-hand account of someone who went on pilgrimage to go see Galileo. Rrrm... sort of. Being an Italian through and through, fate ensured the proper finger would be preserved. Oh don't worry, Ellen's already made similar arrangements.

Posted by scott at 10:05 PM eMail this entry!
Picture Perfect

Leonard Nimoy has decided to put his other profession on exhibit. 26 photos seems to me sort of a smallish exhibit, but then again not quite half of them are life-sized. A shame they didn't put a few technical details in the article. I'd be interested to know what sort of camera he uses etc.

Posted by scott at 06:23 AM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2010
Blammo!

A new armored vehicle being built in Britain has passed yet another spectacular test. I'm reminded of those Evel Knievel toy cars that would blow apart if they hit something hard, and then just snapped back together again.

Posted by scott at 07:06 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2010
JA Fight Club

Posted by Ellen at 07:55 PM eMail this entry!
My Kind of Dome

Israel's effort to remove glorified bottle rockets, mortars, and artillery from Hamas's list of "toys with which I would like to play" has completed its final tests and will be deployed by November of this year. Even better, there's lots of interest in the product. My guess at a prime customer? Another small country sharing a border with a bunch of homicidal maniacs. This thing sounds small enough to purchase and deploy discreetly. All in all, a good thing.

Posted by scott at 05:07 PM eMail this entry!
July 23, 2010
I Shall Call it, "Purpl-Ray"

Looks like the core technology of the PS4 is slowing making its way out of a lab. I just got a damned blu-ray player. This new tech better take its sweet time going into production.

Posted by scott at 07:00 AM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2010
A Special Sort of Plowshare

Tempelhof airport, who's checkered past includes a monument to Nazi pomposity as well as the eastern anchor of the Berlin Airlift, has been turned into an enormous open-air park. I would think the flat, miles-long runways with their great, curved taxiways would make for some spectacular cycling opportunities. But I'm funny that way, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 08:02 AM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2010
~ So Always Look For / The Little Blue Label ~

I guess, in a way, this is news: a non-profit agency's effort to certify market fish are what they say they are actually works. Likely it adds to the cost as well, but most people will pay a certain premium to ensure they're getting what they're paying for.

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
Rollin' Rollin' Rolllin'

Mike J. gets a no-prize that'll go anywhere for bringing us The Tank Chair, the ultimate in handicapped mobility. If something stuck Ron in a wheelchair, it'd be all Amber could do to keep him from driving one of these around in the house.

Posted by scott at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
July 17, 2010
Plastic Mouth

From crooked teeth to straight teeth in only 60 seconds. By the hair style, it looks like she got her braces not long after I had mine removed. The ones I got had bands that wrapped around the whole tooth.

Posted by scott at 08:19 AM eMail this entry!
July 08, 2010
Coin Find

Archeologists in Britain have announced the discovery of a huge Roman coin hoard. Huge as in 52,000 coins weighing a whopping 350 pounds. The hoard was discovered by a hobbyist using his metal detector, but he had presence of mind to stop what he was doing and call in the archeologists when he realized what he'd found. The local county council now hopes to have the find declared treasure, which will allow the discoverer and the land owner to be compensated at market value for their discovery. I'll let the coin collector in the peanut gallery speculate as to just how much that might be.

Posted by scott at 09:16 AM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2010
I Would Be Guilty Of This.

Crazy Neighbor Photos -  You Feed Them Once And They Never Leave
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Posted by Ellen at 08:54 PM eMail this entry!
Lego Ship

Navy fans and arm-chair admirals should find this quick look at the still-building CVN-78 of interest. Otherwise known as the Gerald R. Ford, when launched it will be the first new aircraft carrier since 2003, and the first new class of such ships since 1968.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
Fold 'em Up

Scientists at MIT and Harvard have created self-folding origami sheets. By using special strips of copper and some electricity, they are able to cajole a sheet of fiberglass into a variety of different shapes.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2010
Fun and Explosions

Mark gets a stars-and-stripes no-prize for bringing us the following neat collections of the US Military. Some I'd seen, most I'd not. I'm figuring you won't have seen a few either:

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2010
Shouldn't They Call it a Space Show?

Mike J. gets a no-prize that's worth a second look for bringing us the Sci-Fi airshow. Kinda heavy on the Space 1999 stuff, but I still like the idea of wandering around a flight line full of space ships

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
June 25, 2010
Another Birthday Celebration!

My Lawyers* remind me that the really important birthday happened two days ago, and I will duly note it, on the way to announcing a happy 100th for Alfa Romeo! My kid was born almost exactly 93 years after Alfa! How cool is that?!? More immediately fortuitous, the Alfa Owner's Club convention is nearby this year. Us? Going? Well duh

In other news, we had to jump the Milano, who's battery finally gave up the ghost. New battery, clean car, and a whole show full of them tomorrow. Life is good.

----
* Aka Ellen and The Grammas

Posted by scott at 06:49 PM eMail this entry!
Actually, that's Kinda Neat

And now, a honeycomb structure shaped like the risen Christ. Made by actual honeybees. No, really!

Posted by scott at 06:19 AM eMail this entry!
June 21, 2010
Let the Dead Speak

Remember, awhile back, when all the nerds were up in arms that we were consigning petabytes of information to the dustbin of history because it was recorded on obsolete media? Progressives wanted government intervention to stop it while opportunists wanted to spend the money a fat federal grant would provide? You know, to ensure precious information would not be lost simply for the lack of a player? Yeah...about that...

As long as the media survives, there will always be people clever enough to tease it out. It may not be easy, and it may not be cheap, but it will happen. Anyone else is selling something.

And by the way, did I mention my VCR collection? You know you'll never get to see those old tapes again, otherwise...

Posted by scott at 09:33 PM eMail this entry!
Paging Bob Marley, White Courtesy Phone Please

Popular Mechanics got its first look at a nifty new laser-based IR missile jammer. The new unit is much smaller, simpler and (presumably) cheaper than the one it replaces, and is already being fitted to helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan. The dumber, less effective, but more numerous RPGs still remain a threat, but it seems engineers are working on that one as well.

Posted by scott at 02:25 PM eMail this entry!
Cardboard Zoom

Sure, models are nice, but full-sized replicas made from blueprints using cardboard are nicer. Now this sort of modern art I like.

Posted by scott at 06:50 AM eMail this entry!
June 20, 2010
Zoom-Zoom!

Nothing quite like placing the test track of a popular car show in your video game for oodles of free publicity. Well, one would at first think it's free. It wouldn't surprise me if some licensing and promotion agreements may have been quietly signed. At any rate, it definitely look like fun!

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
Macabre Fun

Lord, bless this, thy Wikipedia, without which we would not have a convenient listing of funerary monuments throughout history. Settle in for a long bout of link-following, fellow seeker.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
June 18, 2010
Rollin' Through Gambon

Folks who've long wanted a crack at Top Gear's test track (*cough* Ellen *cough*) are soon to be getting their wish, albeit virtually. Of course this would be for a console my regular gaming buddy Joshua doesn't have. Nothing quite like conflicting priorities to provide an annoying buzz on a Friday morning.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
Doin' it Right

Making the rounds: US cars have, for the first time, topped foreign-based one in a well-known quality survey. "Foreign-based" may sound like a euphemism, but since many (most?) "foreign" cars are actually built in the US, it's a necessary distinction.

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
June 16, 2010
Escargot Cuteness!

Better Than A Hybrid
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Posted by Ellen at 10:11 PM eMail this entry!
A T-Shirt, for the Rest of Us

Now if only they'd come up with a bike jersey with this on it. It's even done up in light colors!

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
Fun with Maps

It takes a bit of time to load, but this innovative map of where, and which direction, people moved in the US in 2008 is still worth a click or two. A country in motion, indeed.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2010
Our Next Truckster?

Well, if they build it, and if they bring it over here, and if it's in our price range, I definitely think that we'd be driving the prettiest SUV on the road. If recent reports are to be believed, it'll even be one of the better built ones, as well. Likely in Canada or the US, even. Ain't that a kick in the teeth?

Posted by scott at 07:07 PM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2010
You Say That Like it's a Bad Thing

Looks like Tea Partiers are well on their way to taking over the Texas GOP. Getting away from obnoxious morality police and concentrating on economic issues has, in my opinion anyway, always been the great unacknowledged winning strategy for the GOP. Politicians, and most pundits, seem not to have grasped just how powerful the late Clinton-era budget surpluses were as an ego boost to an overstretched nation. So far the Tea Party movement has been able to shrug off the left's increasingly shrill attempts at ridicule and demonize it. If they help remove these spendthrift's hands from the levers of power, they will have truly arrived.

Posted by scott at 06:57 AM eMail this entry!
June 11, 2010
Testify!!!

Victor Davis Hanson is brilliant most of the time. But when he's mad, he's freaking fantastic. A better statement of the constrained view in this era, I have yet to find. Those of you who would immediately dismiss him as a toady of Cheney's neo-cons should be fair warned: he's a professor of your beloved classics and a farmer in the central valley. He's smarter than you, me, and the other guy, put together. Dismiss that at your peril. Not that it's ever stopped you before...

Posted by scott at 07:46 PM eMail this entry!
Death Lego

Nothing like a fully-functional Lee Enfield replica to start your Friday. The catch? Lego. Lots of Lego.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
June 10, 2010
A Spidey WIN!

Funny Wedding Photos - Why Arent Those Kids More Excited?
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Posted by Ellen at 07:09 AM eMail this entry!
June 09, 2010
Turnabout, Shalom

Well, why not: Israeli students are trying to organize a reverse flotilla to provide humanitarian relief to Turkish Kurds. Now, let's all pause and consider the likelihood of Turkish commandos showing up with paint guns as their primary armament to stop this particular flotilla.

Thing is, as long as the current Turkish administration isn't directly involved, I think it'd be quite likely. The Turkish military remains the final bulwark standing between Ataturk's vision and Islamic fascism, but they're not as strong as they once were. And, unfortunately, as with most progressive administrations, the current Turkish government is nothing if not involved.

Posted by scott at 07:20 PM eMail this entry!
Scientist Bits

Chris gets a no-prize that'll annoy the Pope for bringing us news that a newly refurbished museum in Italy will feature recently rediscovered remains of the seventeenth-century astronomer, Galileo. Unfortunately no pictures of said bits are part of the article, so Ellen will be disappointed.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2010
Jungle of Death

WWII history buffs will likely find this account of a "lost" jungle battlefield of interest. Me, I'm not quite sure how something can be lost if the locals have known where it is all along, but I can be ornery that way sometimes. They even found a dead guy leaning against a tree. You'd think jungle critters would've carried him off long ago.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
June 07, 2010
Creative Freedive

I'm not sure how much of it is real and how much of it is just clever editing, but this short film about "underwater base jumping" was still pretty neat. Yet another sport I'm more than content to be a spectator of, and not a participant.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2010
Your Thought for the Day

PanelWithTextBoxes.Controls.Cast<System.Web.UI.Control>().Where(x => x.ID != null && x.ID.Contains("TextBox")).Cast<TextBox>() .Where(y => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(y.Text) && int.TryParse(y.Text, out i)).Select(y => y.Text).ToList().ForEach(z => obj.ListOfInts.Add(Convert.ToInt32(z)));

An actual, working piece of code. In "pseudo-code", what this translates into is "go get all the entry blanks which aren't empty, and have a NUMBER in them, inside this panel and store what a person entered in that blank as a number in a list."

Yes, I wrote it. Hopefully you're not horrified. Seems to work well, and replaces a multi-line function with a single line. Whee!

Posted by scott at 04:32 PM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2010
Mix and Match

Analysts are finally getting their arms around Fiat/Chrysler's future plans, and things are looking pretty interesting. The sudden softening of the Euro puts Marchionne's American venture into a much better light. If the currency should collapse, it'll seem downright prescient.

Posted by scott at 07:20 AM eMail this entry!
May 26, 2010
Longhorn Laps

Aaannndd the location of the next Formula 1 race in the US iisss... Austin, Texas. They've held a few of them in Texas over the years, and they've been a disaster because they insisted on dates in July and August. Of course, that was a long time ago, and on temporary street courses at that. But really... Austin? Gah, why not, I guess.

In even weirder news, it seems Ferrari want to be the backers of a new US-based team. They call it "the silly season" for a reason. I just don't remember it ever starting this early.

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
May 24, 2010
"Pop" Goes the Water Baloon

I'm not completely sure this super-slo-mo video of a water balloon popping is completely un-retouched. That said, I've seen enough of these super-slo-mo videos to say the waterfall itself looks legit enough. Either way, there's nothing quite like ugly, nerdy white guys doing dumb things for no particularly good reason to end the night. And I say that as a card-carrying member of same, I'll have you know.

Posted by scott at 10:15 PM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2010
Well Ain't That Somethin'?

When I read "rural New York site to host F-1 race," I had to stop myself. People outside New York think of the place as Manhattan, with Buffalo as some sort of suburb within site of the Empire State building. Natives and regular visitors know there's a whole helluva lot of "rural" in New York. But, low and behold, the site looks to be less than an hour away from the particular patch of "rural" New York the in-laws live in. Now, proposing an F-1 race is absolutely not the same as actually having the red lights turn off and the cars shriek away. But it is a remarkable development. I'll be watching this one closely, you can count on that.

Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
Building Illusions

I'm not sure I've ever seen anything quite like these 3-D illusion projections on buildings. I wasn't completely sure it was real until I looked closely at the edges of the second building's columns. The projection doesn't extend an inch beyond them. I wonder if it looks that interesting from off-angle views?

Update: It seems that video is a demo, and like most demos it over-promises a bit. Still, the actual item is quite interesting.

Posted by scott at 08:00 AM eMail this entry!
May 20, 2010
Airshow Video!

The advantage of a gear-obsessed brother is we get video! I can only imagine what it must sound like on a big rig, instead of dinky computer speakers. At any rate, enjoy!

Posted by scott at 08:26 PM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2010
CATV in History

It seems it has largely been forgotten that cable TV was originally more about reception and picture quality than it was about content. Growing up in rural Arkansas, as I recall at least a hundred miles from any TV transmitter, meant we either had cable or we didn't have anything at all. You could even run a coax cable into the back of the FM tuner, and use the same giant antenna to pick up radio stations. My, how times have changed.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2010
Free Cake

One of the most innovative computer games of the past five years is available for free. If you never played the game run, do not walk, to get it. I'm still waiting for the next installment, but in the meantime this should be plenty fun.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2010
But will it Dream of Electric Sheep?

Verizon wireless has confirmed it's working on an Android-based tablet computer. Go for the announcement, stay to watch a reporter try to turn a very short press release into a very long article. I thought the old "cut-and-paste twice" trick to lengthening an essay was restricted to high school students.

Posted by scott at 06:59 AM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2010
Excitement in the Middle of Nowhere

For your next camping idea, we present 20 of "America's Least-Visited National Parks." No surprise they're nearly all in America's version of the Great F- All, aka "The Southwest." Ellen and I think roughing it means no Tivo, but we respect people who have fun in the outdoors. So, well, enjoy!

Posted by scott at 08:03 PM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2010
Sightlines and Beauty

Why does it so often seem the neatest new architectural triumph is located on the other side of the dratted world? Ah, well. Likely I wouldn't be able to afford a stay anyway. But it would be nifty to stroll the grounds.

Posted by scott at 07:39 AM eMail this entry!
May 07, 2010
Zoom-Zoom!

Indycar racing is coming to the mid-Atlantic region! Fortunately open-wheel race cars don't have stereos or GPS systems, so they should be relatively safe from the crackheads that infest Baltimore. Hopefully they'll have really good locks on the pit doors, though.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2010
Robot Smash!

The venerable giant robot shooter, Mechwarrior 4, is now officially available for free download. If you missed the game when it was new, give it a try now. If you miss playing it, have some fun! I wonder if this would make it easier to port it to a modern console?

Posted by scott at 06:47 AM eMail this entry!
May 03, 2010
ROCK ON HERO!

A British sniper set a world sharpshooting record by taking out two Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan from more than a mile and a half away -- a distance so great, experts say the terrorists wouldn't have even heard the shot.

Good.. kill as many of those douche bags you can get.

Posted by Ellen at 09:06 PM eMail this entry!
In Person

Zagato has officially unveiled its TZ3 Alfa, and it's just as pretty as the CGI pictures made it out to be. This one also includes a picture of the previous TZ, which shows the heritage to good effect. Nothing says "rich" quite like having a custom, one-off Italian sports car built on commission.

Posted by scott at 07:06 AM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2010
Conquering the World, One Golden Arch at a Time

It would seem a human truism: the ingredients may change, but everyone likes to eat a deep-fried something. Some of them sound kinda tasty, I must admit. Except poutine. N-A-S-T-Y.

Posted by scott at 04:15 PM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2010
What's not to Like?

I'll see your grueling marathon and raise you this: "Sunday’s race will feature long slogs up ski slopes, wades through mud bogs, crawls through corrugated pipes and under barbed wire, climbs over vertical walls, traverses on rope bridges and a drop from a plank into a cold pond. The finish line is through a ring of fire — next to the free beer, near the live band. "

I don't pretend to understand it, but I respect those who do.

Posted by scott at 07:07 AM eMail this entry!
April 29, 2010
It's So Cyooooooooooooot!!!
Posted by Ellen at 10:05 PM eMail this entry!
FUN!
Posted by Ellen at 08:49 PM eMail this entry!
Solves Puzzles, Searches for Sarah Conner

I'm not sure how we missed the story of a lego-based robot which can solve any Rubik's Cube in less than 13 seconds, but it took the announcement of an improved version for us to learn about it. Or them. Those dratted 3x3 cubes were the bane of my junior-high years.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2010
Empire of the (Really Small) Dragon

It seems that the most popular theme park in China is not the one with the mouse, it's the one with the little people. It's not exploitation if they're getting paid for it, and if it supplies a good living for people who would otherwise be on the street, I'm all for it.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
April 27, 2010
Hot Progress

Geothermal energy generation appears to be growing in leaps and bounds. The statistics quoted come from an advocacy group, so I'm not sure just how much they can be trusted. Still, if it's roughly as cheap as coal that means it can, presumably, replace the stuff. Then we get to watch the fireworks as the green side of the Democratic party gets in a scuffle with the organized labor side. What, you think those unionized miners are going to take this lying down?

Posted by scott at 06:55 AM eMail this entry!
Foosah-ooh! Foosah-ahh!

Another week, another neat looking concept car built on an Alfa chasis. Having a 100 year anniversary has its advantages, donchaknow? I just wish it was an actual car instead of a CAD picture.

Posted by scott at 06:26 AM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2010
Here We Go Again

Looks like the on again/off again schedule for Alfa's return to the US is on again. Until, you know, it's off again. Ah, well. The car is apparently well-regarded.

Posted by scott at 06:57 AM eMail this entry!
April 23, 2010
~ Mah Future's So Bright ~

Fiat has finally come clean on its plans for the next five years, and it's nice to see Alfa figures prominently in them. If they actually manage to produce an SUV it'll definitely herald their return to the States, since we're the #1 market for those things. And I'm happy to say that my change in jobs means even a pricey one will likely be within reach in the 3-5 years it takes for one to come to market. Will we once again become an all-Alfa household? Only time will tell.

Posted by scott at 09:22 PM eMail this entry!
Nature's Laptop?

Mike J. gets a no-prize he'll have to hide from the pandas for bringing us news that Asus has taken a new, and unexpected, direction in laptop design. Around here, we need the laptops to be made of indestructible things so it'll take longer for Ellen to destroy them. The rest of you probably don't need that level of protection.

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2010
Mech For Free

Microsoft has finally given the go-ahead to release the Mechwarrior 4 codebase for free. I played that game for many action-packed hours. It's good to find it's still going strong after all these years.

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2010
Incoming!

Visual Studio 2010 is on its way, and it appears It Will Be Good. My shop is definitely planning on the upgrade, but I think it'll be something like a year after its release.

Posted by scott at 06:55 AM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2010
If Only They'd Sell the Dratted Things Here

Looks like the new Alfa Giulietta is doing well. It'll be interesting to see what the Top Gear blokes make of it. They might eventually sell one here. You know, just like Ellen might stop snarling some day.

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
April 12, 2010
A Tac Nuke, for the Rest of Us

Coming soon to a grocery store near you: super-high alcohol beer. With proof levels approaching that of many whiskeys, I'm surprised they're still allowed to call it beer. Oh, and news flash to the reporter: I imagine it will be quite obvious that it is not a normal beer after the first taste.

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
April 09, 2010
Fun with Travel

I guess things in Afghanistan must be looking up if a lunatic Aussie can travel the country with a cameraman and live to tell the tale. AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI!!!

Posted by scott at 06:35 PM eMail this entry!
April 05, 2010
Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Bunch of Guys

Looks like hajji is having a problem with robots raining death from above. I'm sure this is somehow terribly illegal and will result in true and just investigations of war crimes perpetrated by the CIA. What's that? This is a policy of the Obama administration? Oh, well, then it will be rightly celebrated as a clever and effective measure brilliantly implemented by people who cleverly stand outside the more complex segments of the government. Ya kno wha' I maen?

Bah. "it does not matter what color a cat is as long as it hunts mice."

Posted by scott at 05:58 PM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2010
Tornado Week

Starting the 4th of the month is Tornado Week on the Weather Channel!! *see your local listings*

The special this year, you can build your own tornado!

Posted by Ellen at 06:31 AM eMail this entry!
March 30, 2010
Supercar Slushie

Jeremy Clarkson got to test the new Ferrari 458 in conditions that can best be described as, "challenging." Would that we could all have such problems.

Posted by scott at 07:26 AM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2010
The Speed of IT

Computerworld is carrying this year's look into how Formula 1 gets IT done. The much shorter answer is, "very quickly and very very expensively." The long answer should warm the heart of any race car-obsessed computer nerd.

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2010
A Putt-Putt Course, for the Rest of Us

It's a funeral home, and a mini-amusement park. Great. Yet another thing to add to Ellen's dream-home list.

Posted by scott at 06:19 PM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2010
Classy

Problem: The "God Hates Fags" people have set up a protest in your city. Solution: Engage in some creative media jujitsu. This is one I really do hope to see go viral.

Posted by scott at 07:34 AM eMail this entry!
Dead and Gone

There's something a little twisted in LIFE magazine running a photo essay on "truly amazing mummies." Bonus: it's a new exhibit opening in Santa Ana California, which means we won't be able to see it but I bet Nina will.

Posted by scott at 07:27 AM eMail this entry!
March 24, 2010
Cuirious Inspiration

Turns out the authors of the Curious George series barely escaped the Holocaust. Some day someone will likely trace significant parts of the US's post-war dominance to enormous numbers of extremely talented people who fled the ultimate expression of progressive doctrines. I think it's a real, and largely unchronicled, tragedy that the progressives in charge of US foreign policy at the time made it cheaper for the USSR and the Nazis to kill their undesirables instead of send them our way.

Posted by scott at 07:45 PM eMail this entry!
Table Time

Gaming, hell, I think this would make for a nifty hobby table too. All those little cubbies and a sunken work surface... the only way you'd know I was building scale models was the smell of the paint thinner.

Why thank you for this sign, but Ellen gave me one that said pɹǝu a long time ago.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
March 23, 2010
Power in the Hole

Remember those "reactor-in-a-box" ideas that were getting pushed around a few years ago? It seems they've attracted some pretty serious money. Solving the problem of how to make unlimited green power will, of course, not please many of said greens. First there's the whole sturm and drang we'll get because ZOMGQ!!1!! You just buried all that in mother earth!!! Then, of course, there's the fact that most of the green agenda isn't about helping the environment at all.

Posted by scott at 10:58 AM eMail this entry!
DIY Racing

I think an alternate title might be: Have Craigslist, will rally. Maybe after this third-place showing he'll pick up some sponsorship? It would be fun to see what he could do with some real money to throw around.

Posted by scott at 08:14 AM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2010
Not That What We Want has Ever Made a Damned Difference

Surveys are now showing public support for nuclear power has reached an all-time high. The good news is the Obama administration's broken-clock powers seem to have aligned on this issue, and they're supporting it. The bad news is access to clean power has never been high on the far left's agenda, as its knee-jerk response to any attempt to build new plants can attest. It'll all boil down to what happens when they actually try to build one.

Posted by scott at 12:15 PM eMail this entry!
March 21, 2010
Tivo Update!

Tivo has finally announced its new lineup of DVRs. The base model gets 45 hours of HD, the XL model gets a whopping 150 hours (on a 1 tb drive!) And they get a capacity meter too! Me, I'm hoping some firmware updates will allow us poor Tivo HD owners to use that spiff new split remote. It'd be nice if they'd let us get rid of the bloody tuning adapter, but alas, it would appear to still be required. Fios users and others with less traditional cable providers, not so much.

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
March 20, 2010
Wait... There's a Car?

That'll be Mister Mazda Miata to you, bub. And they've got some toned chick with a katana to make it stick, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
March 17, 2010
Go Speedracer, Go!

Progress on creating a car that can go 1,000 mph seems to be moving forward nicely. Seems like their initial designs were generating twice as much lift as the car itself weighed. Having the vehicle try to fly while going faster than the speed of sound would be... bad, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
March 16, 2010
Algorithms, Mofo, DO YOU SPEAK IT?!?

Hey, knowing stuff like this beats the hell out of all those zombie survival guides. You know, because aliens might actually exist, whereas zombie hordes are nothing but the fevered imaginings of a nerd with a shotgun fetish.

Hang on, there's a bunch of moaning creeps banging on my door. BRB

&*(%@#%$

NO CARRIER

Via Violins and Starships.

Posted by scott at 09:11 PM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2010
Finally, A Use for Makeup!

So now there's a lipstick out there which, according to the manufacturer, changes color if a woman gets aroused. Which is all well and good, but it's the image of me running up to Ellen with a bunch of paint chips to hold against her face that makes me laugh out loud.

Posted by scott at 07:13 PM eMail this entry!
Down ya Go

Ah, the joys of waterproof electrics and periscoping intake and exhaust tubes. Still, I only see him getting into the water, not getting out.

Posted by scott at 02:34 PM eMail this entry!
Blind Man's Candy

Scientists have developed a device which allows blind people to "see" using their tongue. No, not like that. The device works by translating images into electrical pulses which are then transmitted to the tongue via a lollipop-like transmitter. With practice, the prototype has allowed a man blinded by an Iraqi grenade to perceive much more of the world around him.

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March 13, 2010
Evergreen Spider

Exactly why he picked a spider, I'm not sure. A cheap, small, pretty car to use as a base, I guess. The rattling is a bunch of loose stuff banging around when the car goes over rough pavement. A 76 model was saddled with huge steel battering rams for bumpers, so without those and the engine, even with all the batteries it might actually not be all that heavier.

Posted by scott at 10:24 AM eMail this entry!
March 11, 2010
Your Thought for the Day

One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the messiah?"
"No", answered Buddha.
"Then are you a healer?"
"No", Buddha replied.
"Then are you a teacher?" the student persisted.
"No, I am not a teacher."
"Then what are you?" asked the student, exasperated.
"I am awake"

Posted by scott at 04:24 PM eMail this entry!
My Kind of Video

Heck, I would've watched it if all they did was just knock a bunch of stuff over. The music just happens to be pretty good too. I only saw one possible cut in the whole 3:50-ish shot, and I'm not sure of that. One helluvan achievement!

Posted by scott at 04:21 PM eMail this entry!
Sometimes, You Find the Darndest Things

Mark gets a no-prize shaped like Davy Jones' locker for bringing us news of the discovery of a bunch of centuries-old shipwrecks. The wrecks were found at the bottom of the Baltic during routine surveying for a gas pipeline being built between Germany and Russia. All are apparently in remarkable condition, and one may be as much as 800 years old.

Posted by scott at 10:49 AM eMail this entry!
March 10, 2010
Microwaving Peeps

Posted by Ellen at 07:22 PM eMail this entry!
Coming to a Birthday Party Near You

Here we go again (~ on our own ~): Rock Band 3 has been officially scheduled for release during the 2010 holiday season. Scheduled is not the same things as actually released, but consoles seem to have a much better track record of hitting their deadlines than do PC games.

Posted by scott at 06:27 AM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2010
Should We Call it, "Dieselene"?

A California start-up has created a new kind of fuel injection which could increase an automobile's efficiency by as much as 50%. The key to the tech is to heat and pressurize the gasoline, and then injecting it directly into the cylinder. A whole host of benefits accrue from this seemingly straightforward change, but it's still not clear just what, exactly, would be required to implement the idea in a production engine.

Posted by scott at 01:09 PM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2010
Back to the Showroom Future

Anyone in the market for a DeLorean? I think $57,000 is probably close to what they cost back in 83, adjusted for inflation. I see DeLoreans from time to time around here. It'd be nice to see even more.

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2010
Everything Old is New Again

Looks like the 70s "folded paper flying saucer look" is coming back again. All the Italian design firms were rendered nearly useless in the early 70s by this fashion trend. Let's hope this one remains a one-off. I like curved, not folded ones.

Posted by scott at 11:47 AM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2010
Floating Palace

Problem: You're a hyper-rich oil magnate who loves boats and entertaining lots of guests.

Solution: Port-a-Island.

Ellen has entertained the notion of living on a boat for years, but was never sure where the cat boxes would go. This would solve that problem rather neatly, no? It's checkbook time!!!

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2010
Suicide Never Did Look So Cool

Is it a hovercraft? An airplane? A boat? See for yourself. That seems to be the best part of Oz and Kiwi-land... if you want to try creative and exciting ways to kill yourself, well, good on ya mate, we'll have some beer waiting if ya manage ta make it back!

Posted by scott at 03:23 PM eMail this entry!
March 03, 2010
The Graduate, 2010

Pininfarina has revealed the concept car it created for Alfa at this year's Geneva auto show, and it's definitely full of win. The shape of things to come? Oh hell, nobody's sure Alfa's even going to be around in two years. Still, if they manage to stick it out, they could do (and often have done) a lot worse than basing a production car off of such a slick piece of artwork.

Posted by scott at 02:58 PM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2010
Android Update

It looks like Google really wants all us Android-based phone users to be on the same version. Understandable, really. Good news: Looks like it'll come down to us this quarter. Bad news: seems the only phone that definitely WON'T need to be reformatted is Motorola's Droid. Meh, we put backup widgets on ours weeks ago, they should be fine either way.

Posted by scott at 10:17 AM eMail this entry!
Then and Now

It's like watching a slide show of a fish bowl... you just can't stop. I'm at least as impressed with the people who've managed to keep the same house, sometimes the same decorations, for such a long period of time.

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
February 22, 2010
Like Dominos, that Explode

What do you get when you combine 2250 tongue depressors with a whole lot of time and determination? Something like this. I'd never heard of stick bombs either. Sounds like a potential father-daughter project to me!

Posted by scott at 05:14 PM eMail this entry!
That'll Do
Posted by scott at 01:00 PM eMail this entry!
February 21, 2010
Fun with Clouds

Nothing like an ordinary bit of meteorology mixing with an extraordinary bit of technology to start the day. Bonus: even though it's a "duh" sort of thing, I still thought it remarkable how different the trajectory of this rocket is than that of the shuttle. Yeah, they're going different places, but still...

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
February 19, 2010
How Awsome Art Thou, Let Me Count the Ways

Folks, it just don't get no better than this: the Python is a 500 meter tube of explosives tethered to a rocket on one end, and an armored truck on the other. I keep thinking, but I just can't figure a down-side to this one. Well, except for all the moanin' and complainin' of the condo comittee. I mean, really, just because it tears the street apart and shatters everyone's windows...

Posted by scott at 07:07 PM eMail this entry!
~ Too Much Time On My Hands ~

Not content with massive subsidies, Japanese rice farmers are now turning their fields into forced-perspective art. Leave it to the Japanese to take something annoyingly stupid and rush it right out the end, so it comes back around to being cool.

Posted by scott at 06:39 PM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2010
Well Why Not?

Up next: CSEG Barbie! Olivia took one look and started threatening to kick my butt if I didn't get her one. My wife's child, let me show you her...

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2010
Dang. Wouldja Lookit That?

Just ahead of the Geneva auto show, images of Bertone's Alfa Romeo Pandion concept have been leaked to the press. There's a reason people hire Italians to design their cars. Building them, not so much, but in for a penny, in for a Lira, that's what we think around here. It certainly doesn't look like anything else out there. I actually think I like it.

Posted by scott at 09:01 PM eMail this entry!
I, for One, will Welcome Our Boom-Box-Bug Overlords

Mark gets a no-prize that'll be vigilant until someone steps on it for bringing us this look at where the future of UAVs may be headed. The article is very long on "look what'll happen if it all works like it's supposed to", and very short on, you know, an actual vehicle. Still, I remember this sort of thing being discussed in AvWeek back in the late 90s, so it does seem progress is being made.

Posted by scott at 08:30 AM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2010
~ Oh, No / They Say He Got to Go / Go Go Crabzilla! ~

And now, a crab that measures 10 feet across. And it's not done growing yet. Predictably, this big-strange-ugly is considered a delicacy in Japan.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2010
Tivo Time

Owners of Series 2 (or earlier) Tivos may want to hold off upgrading until after March. Then again, like Apple, Tivo is not shy about charging a premium to pay off its R&D, so the new ones probably will come dear. Of course, that probably means price-cuts on the ones current today.

Posted by scott at 04:50 PM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2010
Turbo Power!

Mobile middleware developer Dalvik has announced a new virtual machine for Android which claims higher performance and longer battery life. As an all-Android-phone household, we're for it!

And in my day, we had a turbo button on the outside of the case, and you had to push it. And we were lucky!

Posted by scott at 07:53 AM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2010
Robohunter

It seems DARPA is testing the feasibility waters for an unmanned sea drone. The idea seems to be to make the robot do all the hard, dangerous work of tracking and harassing aggressor subs, leaving the rest of the Navy to do whatever the heck they'll have left. Fling airplanes at the water, that sort of thing.

Posted by scott at 11:28 AM eMail this entry!
A Fish in Every Pocket

Google has admitted it's working on technology that could provide spoken-word translation in a phone some time in "the next few years". Which could, of course, mean next year, the year after, or fifteen years from now. Still, since both our phones are droid-based, one would suppose we'd be ideally positioned to take advantage of whatever actually materializes.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
February 03, 2010
Neatest. Fish. Evar!

And now, a gallery of photos of manta rays. Gigantic airplane-like fish that are too big to care if the naked ape blowing the bubbles is dangerous or not. Not sure why, but I just think that's about as nifty as it gets.

Posted by scott at 10:19 PM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2010
Smooth as Glass

It seems spray-on liquid glass will be the next big thing. Anything that makes hospitals safer for patients is fine by me.

Posted by scott at 06:04 PM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2010
Hooray for Narrah-Ass Cars!

Mark gets a no-prize that'll slot right into place for bringing us this fine demonstration of parking control. The spider almost certainly would fit. Thing is, the Milano just might too. They're both just about that narrow.

Posted by scott at 07:16 PM eMail this entry!
January 30, 2010
MCACC, FTW!

So I've had a Pioneer Elite receiver for the better part of five years now. All I ever did was a single 5.1 auto-MCACC calibration. Then, after I found a home theater forum, it suddenly occurred to me maybe doing an advanced calibration for just the two fronts and the sub might make a difference in how I listen to 2-channel music.

Yeah, I know, "DERP DERP DERP." The difference is startling, easily on the level of a component upgrade. And I got it for free!

So let that be a lesson to you. There's a reason why you get all those MCACC presets. Use them!

It's my blog. I'll post what I want to!

Posted by scott at 04:08 PM eMail this entry!
Fire! Eheheheh... Fire!

This week's Boston Globe photo essay revolves around vikings, horses, and fire. Here's to high-speed CCD photography!

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
January 29, 2010
A Storm Trooper's Company Car?

Like most cars that look amazingly fast, you can't afford this one either. Danged Europeans get all the cool cars!

Posted by scott at 06:27 PM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2010
Tomb Time

Hey, if Wikipedia can't provide a list of papal tombs dating right back to the beginning, well, what good is it anyway? History nerd? Me? Guilty as charged.

Me, I want to come up with some sort of scanner thingy that will let me peer inside without disturbing the occupant. There's lots to learn from a skeleton!

Posted by scott at 06:24 PM eMail this entry!
January 27, 2010
Clunkah Killah

Alfas unreliable? Not according to race-day results! What? They're stripped junkers only lunatics with too much time on their hands drive? Why, you say that like it's a bad thing...

Posted by scott at 07:14 AM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2010
It's Zap-Tastic!

Boeing has released videos of an IED-killing laser. Seems long on "ideal conditions" and short on "clever hajji" to me, but I guess everyone's gotta start somewhere. I especially liked how they put fake dummies next to the mortars.

Posted by scott at 08:06 PM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2010
Picture Fun

Nothing like a little forced perspective, strange sculpture, and the occasional human oddity to start the week. It's a curious, albeit not particularly surprising, conceit of people in their twenties that the only way to make a strange picture is with Photoshop. Photography's more than, what, 150 years old? People were making twisted photos before the grandparents of the designers of Photoshop had been born.

Posted by scott at 08:19 AM eMail this entry!
January 22, 2010
Righteous!!!

Mark gets a no-prize that's just flat had enough for bringing us this timely bit of advice to the currently ruling political class. One thing I think doesn't get enough notice on either side of the aisle is just how important the debt and deficit has become to most centrists. A very large number of people in the US were very happy when the country started to run surpluses. Failing to reign in spending is bad enough with such folks. Explosively increasing it makes it even worse.

Posted by scott at 06:23 AM eMail this entry!
January 21, 2010
I Have Found Ellen's Birthday Present

Seems like the Japanese have some competition. A Korean firm has debuted a robot that'll do the laundry. I gotta get me one of these. Holy crap, how domestic is that?!?

Posted by scott at 06:24 PM eMail this entry!
January 20, 2010
YEE-HAWW!!!

Man bites dog. Redskins beat Cowboys. Shoeless Joe says its so. In the annals of heinous impossibilities, all pale against the realization that the one seat in the senate the Democrats never had to worry about, the one who's long-time owner made government-run health care his primary concern, now belongs to a Republican. Now if that doesn't just scream, "appropriate irony," I don't know what does. 2010 is going to be a lot of fun. Well, for my side at any rate.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2010
Missed Opportunity

Agreed: If Pontiac had been allowed to build cars like this, there would never have been a question of closing it. I don't even want to know how much it costs to create a bespoke version. But it sure is interesting to look at!

Posted by scott at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2010
Inglourious Basterds

A++++!!! Would kill Nazzi scum again!!!

Posted by scott at 03:25 PM eMail this entry!
January 15, 2010
Your Thought for the Day

Mark gets a no-prize chock-full-o'-hope for bringing us this amazingly clever video.

And this was second prize???

Posted by scott at 03:54 PM eMail this entry!
Airfields R Us

Problem: A poor country with rickety infrastructure has just been shaken "like a Polaroid picture," making airlift relief very difficult.

Solution: Drive an airfield over and park it just off-shore.

Big-deck aircraft carriers: expensive, but darn well worth it.

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2010
Now That's the Way to End the Holiday

Nothing ends the Yuletide season better than mounting the ol' Christmas tree on a rocket. You'd think they would've used something lighter than a big ol' hunk of rebar to brace it. Would've flown farther, been more dangerous, that sort of thing.

Posted by scott at 07:12 PM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2010
Fun with Numbers

I've always thought statistical anthropology was one of the more fascinating, and little-known, aspects of the field. I guess it has to do with anth being the place where people fled from numbers. But when you read stuff like this, it suddenly becomes a lot more fascinating. As for why it's not more widely reported in the media... DUH!!! It's optimistic and doesn't mention Obama by name once. Why would they pay attention to that?

Posted by scott at 10:24 PM eMail this entry!
January 10, 2010
That's a Strange Looking Fish

Making the rounds: a local car club fished a complete pre-war Bugatti from the bottom of a lake. I'm actually a little surprised they're parting it out. These cars are rare, and simple, enough that skilled artisans can recreate what's rotted. Yes, it will be a $250,000 restoration, but at the end you'd likely have a $2.5 million dollar car. If you wait long enough, almost any interesting car will be worth restoring. And Bugattis are very, very interesting.

Posted by scott at 08:30 PM eMail this entry!
Fun with Paint

Mark gets a no-prize hungry for brains for bringing us this nifty mod for your next trip to the shooting range. I wonder if it makes a splattery mess of the range itself?

Posted by scott at 08:38 AM eMail this entry!
Snow Mistake

Looks like Florida just got its decennial snow storm. The best part is watching this tie the global warming crew up in knots. No wonder they switched the name to "climate change."

Posted by scott at 08:34 AM eMail this entry!
January 08, 2010
Good Thing She Said Yes

Ellen has always insisted The Weather Channel is the most interesting channel on the dial. If stuff like this happened more often, I'd be more likely to agree. One thing we both do agree on: if Jim Cantore shows up in your neighborhood with a camera, head for the hills!

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
January 07, 2010
When Nerf Guns Attack

When we went up to Maryland to visit Uncle Jeff, Olivia was most impressed with their Nerf chain gun. Yes, there is a nerf gun which shoots... oh, hell, I dunno, a lot of Nerf darts per minute. It's freaking belt fed! Apparently bouncing several dozen Nerf darts off one's cousin's head pretty much defines a good time. I'm not sure, because I was busy bouncing the same off her uncle's. He told me there were mods that made it even more awesome, but I didn't believe him. So he went and proved me wrong.

Ok, just to repeat: A belt-fed Nerf gun. It just don't get much better than that.

Posted by scott at 08:27 PM eMail this entry!
I Got Yer Peak Oil, Right Here

I love the smell of markets at work. Smells like... victory. High prices, driven by demand, which allow profits that are not confiscated by the government create incentives for efficiency and exploration. The result? Commodity prices always go down over time. Times when this has not been the case are usually rooted in government policies which either distort demand or destroy incentives for innovation.

Posted by scott at 05:18 AM eMail this entry!
January 05, 2010
Omni Memories

What I remember most was, later on, discovering that Omni looked so damned much like Penthouse. Omni was a regular read of mine all the way through high school. I remember the antimatter section being gold, not red, but that's likely just faulty memory.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
January 04, 2010
At Least Chicago will Shut the Hell Up

The world's tallest building has officially opened its doors. The mile high skyscraper was considered a pipe dream when I was a kid. Who would've thought the first one to exceed half that distance would be built in the Persian Gulf? And why not? Now that they've got their own F-1 race, Dubai just seems that much cooler.

Posted by scott at 08:04 PM eMail this entry!
January 02, 2010
Finding a Home

NASA has kinda, sorta, but not really decided where the space shuttles will go after retirement. Common sense has said "Smithsonian, Houston, and Kennedy" for quite some time, and this just confirms it. Or does it?

Posted by scott at 10:21 AM eMail this entry!
January 01, 2010
My Kind of Description

Best. Esoteric. Speaker. Description. Evar: For many years electrostatic loudspeakers had a reputation as a generally unreliable and occasionally dangerous product.

I know, I know. It's just that I've been flittering around electrostatic speakers for nearly thirty years now, and I've never seen such an appropriate description.

Posted by scott at 09:39 PM eMail this entry!
December 29, 2009
Now That's My Kind of Near Beer

Scientists are working on an alcohol substitute that only gets you pleasantly buzzed and can be fixed with a pill. It's based on Valium derivatives, so I'm pretty suspicious, but if it passes nanny state and obama-ite regulatory tests, I'm all for it!

Posted by scott at 04:05 PM eMail this entry!
December 24, 2009
~ All I Want for Christmas is that German Back ~

Just in time for the holidays, Michael Shumacher is now definitely-for-real back in F-1, this time with Brawn Mercedes. Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher were most of what made Ferrari so dominant in previous years. Will they do it again? Who knows, but it sure will be fun to watch!

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
Brrr... Chilly...

This week's Boston Globe photo essay is dedicated to all that global warming that keeps falling outside. Composition is particularly strong with this set. I would've tried for something similar, but I was too busy shoveling.

Posted by scott at 08:14 AM eMail this entry!
December 22, 2009
TV on a Diet

LG has announced the creation of "the world's thinnest TV". The 42-inch unit is only 2.6 mm thick. If I recall correctly, I think that's slightly less than two nickles glued together. It also weighs not quite 9 pounds, making it much simpler to mount on a wall. No word on price, but I'm sure a premium will be charged to defray the R&D costs.

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2009
Well, that Would be Interesting

Latest silly season rumor: Danica gets an F-1 ride. Ok, brutal honesty time... the reason why the mainstream media celebrated her only win was because they didn't know much about racing. That was a team strategy win, had nothing to do with her speed. That said, conventional wisdom is she's plenty quick enough, and just has to find the right ride (shaddup, you). It would be amazingly good for the sport if the first genuinely competitive F-1 US driver in a generation was a woman, and a hot one at that. However, common sense says she'll sign a NASCAR contract and be disappointed in her open wheel "failure" all the way to the bank.

Posted by scott at 09:53 PM eMail this entry!
Robo Sub

A submersible autonomous gilder recently completed its first transatlantic crossing. As I recall, Global Hawk did the same sort of thing about ten years ago, but it didn't have to contend with sharks. There's all sorts of implications, aside from the generic cool factor involved.

Posted by scott at 05:16 PM eMail this entry!
December 18, 2009
Digital Trippin'

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2009
When Drag Racers Attack

Sometimes the shot is just that important. There's a similar picture sequence from a 50s road race, but Google searches won't turn it up.

Posted by scott at 06:38 PM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2009
AN Ominvore, for the Rest of Us

The engineers at Lotus have created a new type of internal combustion engine (ICE) that, it's claimed, is 10% more efficient than the best existing ICE. People have been trying to make 2-stroke engines practical in an automobile for more than a century, and it hasn't happened yet. Still, it seems to be a lot more than just plans in a computer.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
December 10, 2009
A Mug, for the Rest of Us

F- having a stone medieval mug, I want one I can mount a bayonet on. Like all military-grade things, it has eye-watering specs and an eye-watering price. Still, it's fun to look at!

Posted by scott at 07:03 AM eMail this entry!
December 08, 2009
Panic at the Demo

Have digital graphics suite, will travel. As a demo, it's pretty darned cool. As a story? Hey, if we couldn't criticize other's people's creations, the internet would be a much, much quieter place.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
Your Ticket Unveiled

Virgin Galactic's first commercial space ship had its coming out party on Monday. I could've done without the revelation that the hot chick painted on the nose is actually Branson's (now 90-something) mom. I know, I know, but still...

Posted by scott at 06:30 AM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2009
Fun with Maps

What better way to while away the rest of the weekend than using Google Maps to explore Pompeii. What always surprises me is how small ancient cities were. Then you get used to looking at cities which can be encompassed in a 100m scale, you go chasing Rome's old Imperial walls and realize just how BIG that city was back in the day.

Posted by scott at 05:42 PM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2009
Your Thought for the Day

memorex.jpg

The center of the maelstrom. Except nowadays we run 5 speakers with 2 amplifiers per. It's a good life.

Posted by scott at 10:06 PM eMail this entry!
Zip-Zappin' Away

Boeing's latest attempt at justifying that big ugly 747 with the laser in its nose? Kills IEDs dead. A weapon with infinite ammo that only takes about 5 minutes to cook off a hajji-wired 155mm shell? Sign me up for 12! Ain't technology grand?

Posted by scott at 10:01 PM eMail this entry!
Fire and Noise

These were the cars modeled in Grand Prix Legends. If that simulation was even vaguely accurate, these little beasts are very fast and very scary. But they do look oh-so-right, eh?

Posted by scott at 10:15 AM eMail this entry!
December 03, 2009
Well Isn't that a Pretty Thing?

In the on again/off again saga of Alfa coming back to the US, it seem things are back on again, and with a very nice looking sedan. "Milano" wasn't really much of a name anyway. Giulietta is much nicer, evokes all sorts of things for people who've never heard of the marque, and is spelled just weirdly enough to make it challenging. Will we actually see it? I'd like to think so.

Posted by scott at 07:11 PM eMail this entry!
November 27, 2009
Your Thought for the Day

Fast forward to the 3 minute mark, then enjoy. Ellen knew what it was because she thought it was someone driving a Milano around without a muffler. Sorry, yes, they really are all of that, and a bag of chips.

Posted by scott at 09:28 PM eMail this entry!
Whodathunkit?

So Scooby Doo is on the TV. Me, I think it would be interesting to look up Casey Kasem, see what he's up to nowadays. Turns out he's doing fine. His kids are doing fine too. So I go look up the first one, Kerri Kasem. Wikipedia doesn't have any pictures. Being male, and therefore visually-driven, I wanna see how his kid turned out. Which turned up this. So all of you who were thinking Cher and Chastity/Chaz were causing a great karmic imbalance? Well, there ya go.

Posted by scott at 04:15 PM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2009
Portrait Fun

So, are these 50 CGI portraits really that amazing? On the one hand, yes, I certainly couldn't come close. On the other, I think all but one have something ever so slightly wrong. Most of them seem to be made of wax, in my opinion. It may be intentional, but it's definitely something noticeable. It'd be even more interesting to see if they can animate these things.

Posted by scott at 08:31 PM eMail this entry!
November 22, 2009
Sorry, man... Something in My Eye...

Ok, on the one hand, it's... well, it's complicated, but it comes from a good place, that a teenager with terminal cancer is having his dream classic car restored by his fellow car-nut fans. Then again, it totally sucks that this car was built when I frakking graduated high school. I remember lusting after Fieros as a teenager, and now this teenager's last wish is to see one restored.

I have no idea what to make of this. I guess that's part of being a grownup?

Posted by scott at 07:07 PM eMail this entry!
Fun with Weather

Remember when all we really wanted was a clear view of the Earth from space without all the clouds in the way? That's only because nobody'd figured out how to capture a film of those clouds. Until Now. Reminds me of Jupiter, only with friendlier colors.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
November 20, 2009
Just Keeps Getting Better

Latest rumor: Schumacher's back with Mercedes ne' Braun next year. To my knowledge, the only superstar who retired and stayed that way was tha wee Sco'sman, Jackie Stewart. Otherwise, the ones who retire at the top of their game always seem to come back.

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November 19, 2009
I Know...We Can't Move There Either...

A very neat encounter with a leopard seal.

Posted by Ellen at 08:18 PM eMail this entry!
Italian TV is So Full of Win

Best... Game... Show... EVAR!!!

Posted by scott at 08:09 PM eMail this entry!
A Re-creation, for the Rest of Us

Fans of Command and Conquer should find this full-sized recreation of a Tesla coil of interest. Those things saved my rear more than once in that game. Dasvadanya, comrade!

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
November 17, 2009
I Haz a Craft

If only Olivia had been around, this guy would've helped make a really cool picture. Star Wars geeks descending on us to tell why it isn't possible in 3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 06:36 PM eMail this entry!
Alfa Explanations

Classic-car ensurer Hagerty recently posted this nice article about why certain owners are so fascinated with the cross-and-serpent. Those are some very nice cars in there, but the owners seem to be of a kind with the rest of us.

Posted by scott at 06:32 AM eMail this entry!
November 16, 2009
Fun with Mandels

I guess this means we'll soon have a whole new set of T-shirts to choose from. Just about every purely mathematical concept has proven to be useful somehow in the real-world. Things like 3-D Mandelbrot sets have the potential to be useful and pretty.

Posted by scott at 07:07 AM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2009
Daddy LIKES

Most Alfisti consider the things they drive to be race cars. Others turn theirs into race cars. A precious few talked the factory into building them a race car. By all accounts, it's actually much more fun to drive than it looks. And that's saying something.

Posted by scott at 05:37 PM eMail this entry!
November 11, 2009
Holla! On So Many Different Ways!

Posted by Ellen at 10:23 PM eMail this entry!
She Is So Cool!

One of my MOST FAVORITE people that comes to see me at work.

Rock on lady! Your new Snow White legs you showed me today are awesome!

Posted by Ellen at 09:16 PM eMail this entry!
Languages Languages Everywhere

Google has recently announced Go, a new computer language, licensed under a BSD open source license. I guess I must've finally graduated to programming middle school, because I recognize and understand about 80% of what they're talking about in there. I do still love my C# something fierce though, especially after tinkering a bit with VB.

Posted by scott at 10:43 AM eMail this entry!
All Fall Hall All Fall Hall

I know, I know, I should be posting more stuff. Instead, I'm watching Olivia learn to touch type by using Dance Mat Typing. It's a BBC production, so all the characters sound like Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Home row keys, FTW!

Posted by scott at 08:57 AM eMail this entry!
November 10, 2009
WANT!!!

“Nick, you like Alfas? Why don’t you take the 8C for a spin[?]” Yeah yeah yeah. And you don't want that motorcycle, or those coins, or that Chevelle, or those diamonds, or that resto-mod, or to drive down a 60 degree grade into the canyon, yadda yadda yadda. Tell me you don't want this car, and I'll shrug. Say it to my face without glancing away.

Didn't think so.

Posted by scott at 08:59 PM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2009
Countin' 'em Down

What better way to begin this set of year-end lists than with the "best 101 music videos of the decade?" I haven't heard of about sixty percent of the list, and about half of the rest seems to be made up of White Stripes videos. Meh, pop culture fun at its finest!

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November 08, 2009
Insert Beatles Reference Here

The article doesn't explicitly say it, however I can't help but think these must be the oldest identical twins alive in the world today. Pretty wild to think these two retired back in the 70s, eh?

Posted by scott at 09:36 AM eMail this entry!
November 06, 2009
Small Boat, Big Fish

Nothing like catching a fish bigger than your boat. Like bow hunting or whaling with hand-held harpoons from an oared launch, I respect this sort of hunter. Skill, risk, and just a whiff of nuttiness is where it's at!

Posted by scott at 06:35 PM eMail this entry!
Your Thought for the Day

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
Pretty Neat Talons!

Imagine trying to wipe your butt with these!

Pretty neat, but the pointy ones... OUCH! I bet they make good cat scratchers though!

Posted by Ellen at 06:14 AM eMail this entry!
November 05, 2009
Well Allrighty Then

Fingers??? Who needs fingers?

It's sorta like what I went through getting the Milano's belts back on, only REALLY REALLY fast.

Posted by scott at 08:40 PM eMail this entry!
November 04, 2009
Goofy. Boxy. Different.

Ok, well, when some nut-job hotrods up your car to go ripping around the Nurburgring, maybe we'll talk. Yeah, I know, it's because they're well engineered and nobody wants them anymore. But still!

P.S.: It makes a neat noise, too:

Posted by scott at 10:02 PM eMail this entry!
November 03, 2009
Star Fun

Nothing like a top 10 list of astronomical objects to start the day. Sometimes I'm actually glad we orbit an unremarkable star in a boring corner of the galaxy. There is such a thing as too interesting, ya know?

Posted by scott at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
November 02, 2009
Old and Strange

If nothing else, this site is proof our grandparent's parents were every bit as goofy as we are. Comparing these spectacularly unselfconscious bits of whimsy to the stunts the boomers pulled in the 60s is quite instructive.

Posted by scott at 07:59 PM eMail this entry!
Green Plant

Toyota has developed two flower species which help absorb CO2 and cool their Prius plant. The plants are part of a long-running effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the factory which creates everyone's favorite "smug" emitter.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2009
I Haz a Nom

National Geographic is featuring the first known images of a sperm whale eating a giant squid. Well, looks more liked "eated", since it seems to be an extremely ex-squid.

Posted by scott at 04:39 PM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2009
Playin' with Scale

From coffee bean to carbon atom, we got it all. I had no idea the bits that make up our immune system were so tiny.

Posted by scott at 08:57 AM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2009
Downhill

Nothing like a POV camera to show you that, yes, extreme mountain biking is every damned bit as scary as it looks. And how about that course? What, did they build this town on a wall or something?

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
October 28, 2009
Spooky Experiment

Lord bless Wikipedia, without which it would be much harder to access the straight dope on the Philadelphia Experiment. Ron likely wishes that could be, "what happens when you lift one corner of the city and dump it all into the river?" but alas, it's not.

Posted by scott at 04:17 PM eMail this entry!
Painted Perspective

Well, they may have been a part of the only empire worse than, well, any other one in the world, but those Soviets sure knew how to paint a picture. Then again, suffering in war is universal, so maybe that's the reason these compositions are so effective.

Posted by scott at 07:12 AM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2009
Colorful Bodies

Now, if it were in the US, a "body painting festival" might make you run for the eye bleach. They'd probably run out of paint before the third contestant and then it'd get really bad. But since they're in New Zealand, hey, it's not so bad after all. Video is tasteful but not particularly safe for work.

Posted by scott at 08:03 PM eMail this entry!
Everyone's Gotta Have a Hobby

All those folks who think I'm obsessive about my hobby are pleased to be sitting down and shutting up now. Me, I'd go for replicating the cockpit of a Pan-Am 747, but that's me and it's been done before. I can't quite think of anything like this ever being mentioned anywhere.

Posted by scott at 07:47 PM eMail this entry!
October 26, 2009
Off Again, On Again

Now reports are saying the MiTo and the new Milano are scheduled to reach our shores in 2012. Previous reports were holding these two models to be "too small" for the American market. Considering the number of those spam-can Smarts I see roller-skating around our area, I'm glad Fiat has reconsidered. For now, at least.

Posted by scott at 08:20 PM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2009
Pencil Capture

And now, some photo-realistic pencil sketches. Best I ever managed was a few steps beyond stick figures. Ellen's actually quite good, but hasn't been able to sit still for the lengths of time required in years. ~ Art isn't easy ~

Posted by scott at 07:50 PM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2009
Hump Back Throw Down

Of course it would be Attenborough who'd end up catching humpback whales beating the crap outta each other over a chick. I first saw this sort of cinematography in The Blue Planet. As I recall, it's made possible by a new sort of camera and microphone. Whatever it is, it's spectacular.

Posted by scott at 04:59 PM eMail this entry!
And Now, Your Moment of Zen

I first saw something like this in 2003, 2004. I'm just about certain we linked it up here, but I can't quite figure out how to make it pop out of the archives. There's more than one sort of dirty fun, I guess. The artist is Kseniya Simonova, who apparently recently won "Ukraine's Got Talent."

Posted by scott at 01:27 PM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2009
Big Rock

A 32-carat flawless, colorless diamond just sold at auction for $7.7 million. Bonus: The billionaires who owned it were well-known philanthropists who donated almost all their fortune to charity after they died.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
October 21, 2009
Dances with Light

Most people would just have a bunch of blurry white blobs if they tried to take pictures without a lens on their camera. This guy is not most people. Likely this sort of esoteric stuff will be all that's left of film photography in a few more years.

Posted by scott at 06:51 PM eMail this entry!
Shakespear Found

By using plagiarism-detection software, one scholar has found strong evidence that a previously unattributed play really is part of Shakespeare's works. I've often thought that it would be interesting to try similar techniques on, for example, the books of the New Testament, who's authorship is (in my opinion) a more interesting question.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2009
Well Lookee There

1983 wasn't a particularly good year for performance cars. That said, people in the know can find at least one that was available. Calloways were incredibly expensive when new, and as far as anyone knows only perhaps 100 are still around. Last time I saw one go by, it was the #5 prototype. As I recall, the owner was asking for something in the high 20s, and as far as I know it did not sell. But they are definitely fun rides.

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2009
Gothic Disney

Me, I don't think these "re-imaginings" of Disney princesses makes them look like superheroes. I think it sorta makes them look like zombies. Disturbingly hot zombies. I need to get out more...

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2009
Ooo... Daddy Likes!!!

Latest rumor says Alfa may be toying with the idea of a 3.0L V8 twin turbo with Multi-Air technology. That would likely end up being a 500+ hp motor getting 35+ mpg and a carbon footprint about the size of a couple of cat farts. Heading toward our shores! Definitely something to consider blowing the child's college fund on.

Posted by scott at 08:28 PM eMail this entry!
October 09, 2009
Slow Bang

Nothing like ten minutes of large-caliber bullets hitting various kinds of armor plate to start your Friday. I think it's especially wild when it seems to liquefy when it hits the angled plates.

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2009
Missile in a Can

Looks like submarines won't be completely helpless against airplanes for much longer. As I understand it, a big part of anti-submarine tactics, from the planes used to the attack tactics, are premised on the idea the sub can never, ever shoot back. Literally attacking this basic idea will likely cause many late nights for the ASW bad guys.

Posted by scott at 06:55 AM eMail this entry!
October 07, 2009
Mr. Sweeper's Curious Conveyance

Meet George Sweeper, who manages to maintain a 1968 Jaguar in downtown Brooklyn. From what I've read, a 68 is one of the better years to have... ergonomics and overall comfort are much improved from the earlier models, and they had yet to be strangled and mangled by those lovely progressive policies from the 70s. Good for him!

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2009
Picture-Picture

Another week, another interesting photo montage from the Boston Globe. This week's subject is Afghanistan, and the images are no less powerful than normal. Something for those who think these people aren't worth helping to mull over, no?

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2009
Compare & Contrast

Ok, I'm not asking you which one is prettier. The 80s weren't kind to anyone's car design. And I'm not asking you which one you'd want. Since you're not nuts like we are, your answer will be "c) none of the above." What I'm asking you is which one is more interesting looking. Less dated.

Thing is, even I didn't realize the contrast until I saw an 80s era 5-series parked in our church's lot during the Fall Festival. Trust me, a BMW of the same era is ridiculously dowdy when compared to our goofy little Italian box. Bah, I'll let you be the judge. Oh, I know what you're going to say, but I also have a feeling I know what you're going to think, especially when you compare the roof lines...

6802_106183905947b5f953ba903.jpg

114310d1219902594-tires-wheels-0111_06zoom-alfa_romeo_75-front_side_view.jpg

Posted by scott at 10:16 PM eMail this entry!
Well Why Not?

Hey, if you can't share someone's small pleasures, what good is life? Haven't had a really memorable moment lately. I hope that means fate is saving up. In a good way.

Posted by scott at 05:42 PM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2009
Siren Site

Presenting VictorySiren.com, a site which provides pictures and details of the air raid sirens which were scattered across the country during the cold war. Turns out they were powered by Chrysler V8 engines. One of them seems to be in the process of restoration for use on the air show circuit. Now that'll make for an interesting experience, eh?

Posted by scott at 06:54 AM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2009
What's Not to Love?

The latest Alfa Romeo has a 1.4L, 170hp motor that powers it from 0-60 in less than 7 seconds and gets nearly 50 mpg. The secret? A revolutionary induction system that actually does away with a conventional throttle. Now if we can somehow lure Fiat into bringing them over...

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2009
Awsome is...

Hey, at least they're saying nice things about the goofy pictures. I've worn t-shirts and jeans since about... forever I guess. It's the hairstyles that'll be my downfall.

Posted by scott at 06:20 PM eMail this entry!
Going Up

Hey, man, what good is an HD camera if you can't stick it to a balloon and loft it up past 100,000 feet. It's sort of like watching a fish tank, going in the other direction.

Posted by scott at 07:02 AM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2009
Fun with Barn Finds

While a little meandering and ultimately pointless, like the classic car hobby itself this story of one man's barn finds is nonetheless entertaining. Me? I've never really had a proper place for the classics I already own, so I'm not constantly on the prowl for more. That said, when I am looking to buy, the perfect has always found me, and in a surprisingly short amount of time.

Posted by scott at 06:35 AM eMail this entry!
September 21, 2009
Fun with Paper

While I'm not completely sure why someone would want a life-sized paper model of Link, the hero from the Legend of Zelda video games, I think the result is nonetheless impressive. Hey, everybody needs a hobby!

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2009
Coin Cache

Good: Finding nine of the rarest gold coins in the US in a safe deposit box left to you by your parents. Bad: The feds snatch them away because they were "stolen". Good: looks like the feds are going to be forced to give them back. Maybe. One of the reasons the feds are, well, the feds is because they have a nasty habit of doing just whatever they see fit.

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2009
Pickin' Up the Pieces

Today's Boston Globe photo montage takes the aftermath of hurricane Ike as its subject. It took me a little while to realize clicking the pictures made them switch from before to after. Oh, and -1 to the Globe for not mentioning the irony of a lion being protected by a Christian church.

Posted by scott at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
September 13, 2009
One Million Trillion...

Ever wanted to know what a a trillion bucks looked like?

Posted by Ellen at 06:00 AM eMail this entry!
September 11, 2009
Nom!

And now, a fire truck being towed out of a sink hole. Something tells me the total immersion will be... unkind... to the electronics.

Posted by scott at 06:37 AM eMail this entry!
September 10, 2009
Package Reviews

While more than a bit pretentious, Food in Real Life was still interesting enough for me browse it all the way to the bottom of the first page. Back in my bachelor days I was a real connoisseur of all foods boxed. The quality defines "hit and miss." I sure could've used this back then.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2009
I C U

As with most big-security projects, launching ultra-secret spy and communications satellites generally is rather hard to conceal. Freedom sometimes means using your free time to annoy bureaucrats, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 06:14 PM eMail this entry!
Good Times, Good Times

Presenting Star Raiders, a game my brother and I played to absolute mastery on our old Atari 5200. Strangely, the article does not mention the 5200 port, nor the earlier 2600 port of the strategy game on which Star Raiders was largely based. Activision came out with a simpler, and better, adaptation of most of the same concepts, although the name of that game escapes me. Game developers, it would seem, have been stealing ideas from each other for decades.

Posted by scott at 06:51 AM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2009
On a Stick!

It's pizza, on a stick! Olivia's not much for pepperoni, but I sure am. Looks pretty darned yummy to me.

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2009
There They Go, Here They Come

Today's take on which Alfas will show up on our shores takes a much more optimistic view. What raises my hopes is Fiat seems to be looking to take on established niches by building high-quality vehicles and undercutting the competition's price. That's always a winning combination.

Posted by scott at 08:06 AM eMail this entry!
September 04, 2009
Ah, Mi Amore...

Yes, yes, it's the color of a 1972 Frigidaire, but what a Frigidaire! Now that, my friends, is a car that'll make the security guards over at the DARPA building remember me.

Nah, not any time soon. But after Olivia graduates high school? All bets are off!

Posted by scott at 08:30 PM eMail this entry!
September 02, 2009
Well, What do You Expect? It's a Honda

It would seem everything I've heard about the S2000 is true. Well, maybe not everything, since (miracle of miracles) this one does seem to have its share of flaws.

These cars command a brand loyalty very close to that of Alfas, and since they're much cheaper and better built, there are a whole lot more, well, "Hondisti" than there are Alfisti. It's not for me, but I've driven a riced-up one and I must say I still think it's a sewing machine, but it's definitely a sewing machine with heart. And anyone who questions their pedigree nowadays doesn't know what the heck they're talking about.

Ah geeze. Somebody get a mop. Damion's head just exploded.

Posted by scott at 07:34 PM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2009
That's Good to Hear

Felipe Massa's return seems now set to be the opener of the 2010 season. When hit on the head with a full soda can at 160 mph you are, look as good you would not.

Posted by scott at 09:40 AM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2009
Best. Birthday Present. Evar!!!

Hey, if I knew how to cast iron, I'd probably want to make a cannon too. I don't know enough about Civil War tech to figure out if a 4"-er was a standard sized gun or not. Meh, it'll shoot golf balls 600 yards. That's plenty good enough for me!

Posted by scott at 01:24 PM eMail this entry!
BFF!

And now, a baby chimp taking care of a baby puma. No better way to start the week!

Posted by scott at 07:28 AM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2009
Reunion

Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly, best known as the stars of Cagney and Lacey, are reuniting for an upcoming episode of Burn Notice. A good combo on a good show. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2009
Old Tech

Fans of computers or old electronics may find this collection taken at the Computer History Museum in California of interest. I think the control panels from the 60s and 70s are pretty nifty, in a "looks like Star Trek wonder what that button does um no I don't and I didn't touch it and let's get out of here" sort of way.

Posted by scott at 06:53 AM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2009
The Next US Alfa?

The latest rumor seems to indicate the 169's replacement will be based on a Maserati chassis, not that of the Chrysler 300. The 300's platform is well-regarded, but old and difficult to adapt to the needs of European markets. The Maserati chassis will be sweet, but the resulting vehicle will almost certainly be too much for us to afford new. Ah well, maybe after depreciation does the deed we'll pick one up. At least this one is nice looking!

Posted by scott at 06:36 AM eMail this entry!
August 23, 2009
Your Thought for the Day

All petrolheads should own an Alfa if they want to know what differentiates a car from a toaster

-- Jeremy Clarkson

Nuff said.

Well, maybe not. If you genuinely wonder, "you know, you seem quite rational. Except for your choice in cars. Dude, wtf?!?" Well, read this, but skip past the bits about the watches. That's what I feel, and God help her I'm pretty sure Ellen feels, about Alfas.

We're coming up on a very specific anniversary very soon. Like, now. We'll all need to badger Ellen into talking about it.

Posted by scott at 10:15 PM eMail this entry!
August 22, 2009
I Can't Believe it Ate the Whole Thing

And now, a shredder so bad-ass it's able to eat a whole car. Now that's recycling.

Posted by scott at 07:36 AM eMail this entry!
Lovely Destruction

HardOCP answers the question we've all been asking: how many hard drives does it take to stop a .50 sniper rifle round? The answer is as cool as the question.

Posted by scott at 07:24 AM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2009
Squaring a Circle Spiral

When is a spiral not really a spiral? When it's a bunch of differently-colored squares, that's when. It's likely our visual centers evolved in response to the pressure of finding ripe fruit in a tree, not to counter some clever damned scientist in a lab. Fun!

Posted by scott at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
August 18, 2009
Nice Work, if You Can Get It

Hey, why not drive four supercars across the country? There was one in there even I didn't know what it was, other than pretty. You'll have to scroll down to the start and read up, but I thought it was worth it.

Posted by scott at 02:29 PM eMail this entry!
It's Only Nerdy if You Don't Understand

So how many years did Bill Murray's character spend in Punxsutawney? The answer seems to come close to what the director just threw out there in an interview long ago. Go to see what nerds like me (and most of the guys who read this site) do when they get the bit in their teeth. Stay to watch the NERD FIGHT!!!

Posted by scott at 10:43 AM eMail this entry!
August 17, 2009
The Shape of Things to Come

Ron gets a no-prize filled with genuine buttery goodness for bringing us this past tale of a future that didn't come to pass then, but could today. How could someone be so prescient? Well, 1978 was the first time in the past thirty years when the economy was in the crapper, confidence was low, and progressives held all the cards. The second time had a better politician at the helm. The third time... well, let's all hope the third time is not the charm, in this case at least.

Oh, and I can cast each role in the story using a buddy of mine. I leave it as an exercise for the reader to figure out who ends up in which role.

Posted by scott at 02:49 PM eMail this entry!
Pachyderm Prosthetic

Look who they're fitting with artificial limbs now. Apparently it's a permanent one, which answered the question of how they were planning to deal with contact sores.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2009
No More Stops

Fans of secret and abandoned places should find this collection of pictures of abandoned subway stations of interest. I'm pretty sure the Toronto station was used in the filming of the Matrix, but it's too early in the morning for me to research and be sure.

Posted by scott at 06:33 AM eMail this entry!
August 11, 2009
Little. Italian. Different.

Coming to an obsessive blog about science fiction, anger, and cats near you: the Alfa BB video series. Sharp eyes will note the lack of a shift knob and the non-stock steering wheel. Even though it's fuel injected, mine sounds pretty much the same, but only if I pull the air cleaner off first. And I'd love a garage like that. LOVELOVELOVELOVE!

Posted by scott at 10:08 PM eMail this entry!
August 09, 2009
A Fire Truck, for the Rest of Us

Problem: You work at a place where accidents happen at very high speed around a race track that's more than twenty miles long.

Solution: Horsepower. Leave it to the Germans to over-engineer something to the point it goes right out the other side and becomes amazingly cool.

Posted by scott at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2009
WHEEE!

Go to watch goofy Italian sedans going balls-out down various medieval donkey trails. Stay to see if those Italian sedans end up collecting any of the insane Frenchmen crowded on the sides of the road (minute 9-ish). And the song at minute 4-ish.

Posted by scott at 11:37 AM eMail this entry!
August 06, 2009
Biker Chicks

While a bit "fluffy", this editorial about how women are turning to motorcycles in increasing numbers was still of interest, even to a guy like me. Mainly, I guess, because it includes brief advice on the sorts of bikes one should look at as a beginner.

No, not for me, I'm askeered of those things. A few other people I know either are getting or want to get one. Those people.

Posted by scott at 01:51 PM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2009
A Kit, for the Rest of Us

Ah, progress. It now appears that, for the comparatively affordable price of $8,000, you, too, can get your own satellite launched. The press release makes it sound like a grown-up version of those electronics kits you used to get from Radio Shack. Except, of course, this eventually gets to go into space. Progress is good!

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2009
I'm Pretty Sure it's not Supposed to do That
Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2009
It's Good to Be the King

Everyone knows F-1 team principles make big bucks. That's very nice. Nicer still are the benefits. The latest rumors have Renault pulling out after this season, so ol' Flavio may end up out of a job soon.

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
July 29, 2009
I'll be Darned

Shumacher's coming back to Ferrari! At least, that's what Bild is saying. For those who're not following the sport (philistines), lead Ferrari driver Phillipe Felipe Massa got hit in the head by a spring roughly the size and weight of a full soda can at 155 mph last Saturday during practice at Hungary. Amazingly, he's still alive and in guarded condition, with doctors hopeful for a full recovery.

That said, he almost certainly isn't coming back very soon. It will be very interesting to see how ol' Shumy does. Ferrari built cars around him to his very particular tastes, and the current car isn't one of those. That said, he didn't win 7 world championships just because everyone else moved aside.

See you next Sunday!

Posted by scott at 03:01 PM eMail this entry!
Be Sure to Look Down

Remember those stories about the "sky deck" in the Sears Willis Tower in Chicago? Yeah, it's about as spectacular as you'd think. Seems on the day it premiered it was raining. That'd be just my luck. Supposedly convention-after-next will be in Chicago, so I'll have to pencil this in on my, "to do" list.

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2009
We're #2! We're #2!

Coming in second isn't always a great thing, but if you're Alfa Romeo, and your competition includes brands like BMW and Mercedes, second place, well, it' ain't so bad. And yeah, I think having Daihatsu on the top spot is a little strange myself, but I'll take what I can get!

Posted by scott at 05:50 PM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2009
Showing the Flag

Well, they may not have won the latest round of the, "24 Hours of Lemons" race, but check out who took the next four three spots! They may be goofy Italian cars, but, when prepped right, they can definitely be fast goofy Italian cars.

Posted by scott at 10:03 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2009
High Yellow

Presenting Yellow-Yellow, the bear smart enough to defeat "bear canisters" most campers can't get into. The in-laws will not be surprised to find out this bear, is from New York.

Posted by scott at 09:27 PM eMail this entry!
The Stuff of an Android's Dreams

Ron'll have to go to the shoals of Orion to pick up the no-prize he gets for bringing us this graphic example of what happens when Welshmen have too much time, and way too many Christmas lights, on their hands.

No, it's not bad. It's actually pretty darned funny. And I know they're not exactly Christmas lights, but that's what they looked like to me.

Posted by scott at 01:09 PM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2009
Finally, the IntarTubes Proves Itself Useful

E-mail? Who needs e-mail. I need this. Heck, it even picked the restaurant I was jonesing for as a supper pick tonight. Technology is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
KThxBai!!!

Remember, folks, quad turbos and a thousand-and-one horsepower mean never having to say you're sorry. It actually looks like the GT-R beats the Veryon in the first few hundred feet. After that it would seem the Veryon gets it all hooked up and lined up and then it's just freaking gone.

Which is what I'd expect if I were driving a car that cost ten times what a $100k-ish competitor cost. eh?

Posted by scott at 11:53 AM eMail this entry!
July 23, 2009
Adapt & Reuse

While the site itself seems to be critical of the restaurant conversions it features, personally I have no problem with it. Then again, I work in Arlington, who's re-use zoning laws are famous in the way they limit what can and cannot be done to the exterior of a building. Still didn't save that cool dealership over at Ballston, though.

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
Whoa...

Whale shark? Your aquarium has one whale shark? But does it have three? And, from what I could count, three manta rays as well. Can't say I've ever even heard of those living in captivity. Now if this was the tank in my doctor's office, I might be more likely to visit!

Posted by scott at 06:52 AM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2009
Belly of the Beast

From someone who is supposedly related to someone who works at Chrysler:

From my brother Steve who works in the Prototype Shop at Chrysler........ New fun facts and such.....Fiat 500 will be badged as a Chrysler The Abarth version is in AND will be marketed. There are also some NEW oddities.....Full ELECTRIC 500 (not hybrid). Steve says it is pretty cool. The Abarth 500 has 17" wheels with extremely low profile tires. He said it took two (2) guys PLUS the tire machine to get the tires on the wheels because of the "very ridgid" sidewall. Now he says this one is a monster and is very quick. Also lurking around is a Lotus Elise that is full electric. It may OR may not be produced and marketed as a Dodge. He also says that with all the Italians involved; English has become the 'secondary' language. He is STILL trying to interpret "hand and arm" gestures and as yet can't decipher whether the "yelling" is normal or frustration or madness or just being "Italian",,,,,Ed K.

Bah. Ellen read it over my shoulder and couldn't understand how someone couldn't understand "language-plus-gestures".

Posted by scott at 09:31 PM eMail this entry!
Hajji Go Boom

Nothing like full motion video to ensure the guys you're sending to their 72 virgins really deserve it. At least nowadays they're blanking the HUD info, which I always found quite informative as to what was taking the pictures, and where it happened to be.

Posted by scott at 01:53 PM eMail this entry!
Fun with Cabinets

While these things are certainly interesting looking, I don't know how well they'd do holding books. Probably expensive too. Still, it is a step up from some planks and a couple of cinder blocks, eh?

Via Violins and Starships.

Posted by scott at 11:35 AM eMail this entry!
Well, Now I Know Where Ellen's Lost Sister Ended Up

She ended up in Kenya:

In many ways, the setting is just a typical family breakfast.

Young children and their mother enjoy croissants and orange juice while sitting around a table together.

But things become a little different when you notice a giraffe poking its head through the window to join them for a drink and a bite to eat.

Note to hyper-literal relations: "lost sister" is a literary device. Except when Nina's GPS unit runs its batteries flat.

Posted by scott at 06:40 AM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2009
Records of the Past

Mark gets a no-prize that contains the receipts of all his past Ren Fair tickets for bringing us news that one of the most extensive collection of medieval accounting records in the world is now on-line. These records provide very valuable cross-checks to the various chronicles of the time, and allow the tracking of sometimes very normal men throughout their lives, something that is not possible anywhere else in Europe until perhaps the late 18th century.

Posted by scott at 02:35 PM eMail this entry!
Ancient Book

The Codex Sinaiticus, one of the oldest three bibles known to exist, is now available on-line. The interesting thing about Sinaiticus, and its other contemporaries Vaticanus and the somewhat later Alexandrinus is how unique they are. At this period Christian writings, and the Old Testament documents they were usually based on, were distributed in collections of books, many examples of which survive today. These three are the only "whole" bibles known to have existed for seven or eight centuries.

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2009
Universal Translator

Looks like the Air Force has a new toy. "Translator" doesn't seem quite right for a system that connects a bunch of disparate data networks together. "Ultimate bridge" seems more appropriate to me. But wtf do I know?

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2009
MiTo, Mee Too?

The New York Times is now getting in on the act with this road test of the Alfa Romeo MiTo. The review's conclusions, that the car is heaps of fun but a bit crude and harsh, tracks pretty well with other road tests I've read. The nice thing is suspensions can be refined and steering can be fixed. In other words, it would appear to be no worse than any other new model, and in many cases is much better.

All for (supposedly) around $20k. They may just have gotten it right this time.

Posted by scott at 08:06 AM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2009
For the Sniper with Everything

Four words: rifle mounted cup holder. I love America! Not sure I recognize the gun though, maybe an H&K?

Posted by scott at 06:38 AM eMail this entry!
River Monster

84 lb. girl catches 190 lb. fish. We watch the Animal Planet show River Monsters pretty avidly, and so knew such monstrous critters did in fact ply fresh waters. We did not, however, know any of them lived in Spain. Aye ca-rumba!

Posted by scott at 06:34 AM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2009
Ooh... Ahh... Pretty!

And in the, "if you have to ask..." category, we have this 1962 Alfa Giulietta Sprint Zagato. I actually saw one of these a very long time ago at an owners club meet in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. They're amazingly small cars, with a really neat, blatty exhaust note. The owner had restored it himself, and said it was like driving around inside a drum. But a fun drum! I had no idea the things were so valuable. Then again, that was right around 20 years ago, so this may be a case of "when appreciation attacks!"

Update: Don't miss this even pricier TZ-1, the follow-on to the Sprint Zagato featured above. Vintage race cars, FTW!

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2009
Another Milano Update

If CNet is to be believed, the first Alfa Romeo on our shores will actually be the "new" 4-door Milano. The article includes a new phone picture of the pre-production line. Can't say I find it particularly stylish, but this "foam squishy" look is actually the result of a raft of progressive legislation intending to protect pedestrians. In other words, they're ALL going to look like that soon. I guess if it saves one idiot who doesn't look both ways...

Posted by scott at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
Now That's an Air Show Picture!

While I'm sure having a big ol' telephoto lens helped make this all look a lot closer together than it actually was, this is still a really nifty air show picture. Andrews AFB, where I take all my shots, is of course emphatically not surrounded by various buildings, so I'll just have to pass on trying for one of these.

Posted by scott at 11:29 AM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2009
Righteous... RIGHTEOUS!!!

Another installment in the MechWarrior franchise would appear to be on the way My brother and I spent hours and hours blowing up various teams of "other" nerds with the last version. Will this be a worthy replacement? Only time will tell.

Posted by scott at 09:46 PM eMail this entry!
July 07, 2009
Daynga Daynga Daynga!!

Outback (not the steak house) once served dinosaurs.

Nasty once of course!

Posted by Ellen at 06:58 AM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2009
Our Next Milano?

The spy pictures, they keep coming. Slightly off-kilter styling: check. Big booty: check. Not likely to be mistaken for anything else: check. Yep, that's an Alfa my wife would love. Except she'd have to give up her PRESENT Milano, or her nearly equally beloved PT Cruiser, so I don't see one of these in our future. Now, if either got smashed in 2012? All bets would then, my friends, be quite off.

Posted by scott at 10:33 PM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2009
Ellen's Next Phone?

Land Rover, of all people, has unveiled what it bills as the "worlds toughest cell phone". Unfortunately no phone is so tough it can't be lost in the side pocket of a back pack. Not that I'd reveal someone who actually did something like that...

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
Wait... There were Fireworks?

Three words: Bikini. Fireworks. Stand. Did I mention how much I love the USA?!? Amazingly, this did not originate in Texas, but rather in Tacoma, Washington. I guess all those stories characterizing the great North West as a bunch of screaming liberal hippies sipping Starbucks in their yurts complaining about "flyover country" and regulating their own children out of the local housing market was a bit of an exaggeration, eh?

Well, probably only a bit...

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
July 01, 2009
Wait... There was an Airplane?

Leave it to the Kiwis to come up with an airline safety tape even I'd pay attention to. Go for the flight attendants wearing body paint. Stay for the flight attendants f-ing up their lines in body paint. Heck it even includes something for the ladies.

Posted by scott at 05:30 PM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2009
Your Thought for the Day

I can think of no finer send-up to the center-left elitism I find so common with so many folks I know. The discussions on his board about this one are epic.

I'm laughing precisely because you don't think it's funny.

Posted by scott at 07:16 PM eMail this entry!
Fiat Update

It seems Chrysler and Fiat are beavering away at getting the new 500 over here as soon as possible. If it's even vaguely in the price range of the Smart, they likely won't be able to build them fast enough. Not so sure about a wagon with that body type, but who knows?

Posted by scott at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
Boat Wheel

Presenting the Falkirk Wheel, what has to be the most spectacular solution to the problem of getting a boat from one body of water to another at a different elevation. I'd read about this thing years ago in a travel magazine, but they only had a single picture of it. This site has video!

Posted by scott at 06:44 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2009
Engines on the Way

Details are beginning to emerge about exactly what Fiat tech Chrysler is already working to integrate into new models. Interesting tech in what would otherwise be pedestrian cars is what makes Italian automobiles so neat to me. It's nice to read such things will soon be in American cars as well.

Posted by scott at 08:27 AM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2009
Can't Afford it, but I'd Like To

If I had a four car garage, and a whole helluva lot more money than I have right now, I'd make this guy an offer. I've read, more than once, that owners of pre-war Alfas like nothing more than to take their cars to shows which feature pre-war Cadillacs. "It's so much fun to make them cry," was what they kept saying.

It's an Italian thing. Ellen understands.

Posted by scott at 09:57 PM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2009
Big Rock, Fall from Sky

Yeah, it may be old news to you, but this clip from (yet another) British "real science" show was still pretty impressive to me. I was a little disappointed they only dropped it from the top of a big crane. The Mythbusters guys must have a bigger budget, as I'd expect them to work out a way to at least drop it from a helicopter or something.

Posted by scott at 03:11 PM eMail this entry!
June 25, 2009
It's the Only Way to Fly

Problem: Jet packs are a neat idea, but it's just not possible to carry an adequate fuel supply

Soultion: Use the most common reaction mass candidate on the planet, and tow a pump behind you.

Since I haven't seen these things everywhere, there're bound to be hidden issues. The two I think I see are noise and the tendency to power-wash the skin off the pilot's legs.

Posted by scott at 02:43 PM eMail this entry!
Boom!

I know, I know, the ISS makes for one helluvan expensive camera platform. But sometimes the results are still worth it. I especially like how the volcano punched a hole in the cloud cover around it.

Posted by scott at 06:43 AM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2009
Weird Island

And now, garagantuan trees shaped like mushrooms. You'd think after running this place as long as we have, we'd know all about these places. You'd be wrong.

Posted by scott at 06:29 AM eMail this entry!
June 21, 2009
Yet Another Reason for a Plane Ticket

The new Acropolis museum has opened at the foot of that very famous hill. Predictably, lots of mentions of the Elgin marbles and almost no details on just what is actually on display in this new space.

Posted by scott at 07:31 AM eMail this entry!
June 19, 2009
I Thought that Love Would Last Forever: I was Wrong

Lest you think they're all sparkling, like new... this is how most Alfas meet the end of their days. The first one I owned wasn't much nicer than this one. Ah well. I wonder if he'll sell me the tail lights?

The pictures remind me of Joshua's old barn photos. Here's to hoping he finds images as compelling at this Sunday's show!

Posted by scott at 07:49 PM eMail this entry!
The More You Know...

Turns out it's ridiculously easy to hack those flash-message road signs. Except, of course, that it's illegal.

RON.

Posted by scott at 11:47 AM eMail this entry!
June 18, 2009
Fun with Photography

The thing is, they're not actually toys. I forget exactly how this is done, but as I recall it can be done with just about any SLR.

Posted by scott at 03:54 PM eMail this entry!
Ok, Where'd You Say You Went?

Presenting Atlas Obscura, a site which attempts to chronicle every weird or obscure bit of interesting architecture and geography, well, anywhere. Personally I think the Los Alamos surplus store is the most interesting. Knowing how the feds work, that's the most likely final resting place for the Roswell aliens.

Posted by scott at 06:55 AM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2009
I Shall Call It, "HummveeSki"

Ron gets an indestructible no-prize for bringing us this entertainingly translated article about what appears to be Russia's latest effort in military mobility. Hey, Hajji, eat this!

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
Tis The Season!!!- Spring Addition

An entire page from the Weather Channel dedicated to TORNADOS!

Posted by Ellen at 06:39 AM eMail this entry!
June 16, 2009
~ Spies Like Us ~

Finally I can say, the next Alfa Romeo bound for the US looks to be shaping up nicely. This would seem to quash rumors that the next 169 vehicle would be based on the same platform as the Chrysler 300. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, since that platform has the rear wheels driven as God and Jano intended. Still, it'll be interesting to see how it turns out. They may even end up naming it "Milano."

Posted by scott at 10:58 AM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2009
Oooh! Ahh! Pretty!

And now, how about a bunch of pictures of one of the prettiest cars ever made? Say what you will about Italians, they certainly know sculpture.

Posted by scott at 03:53 PM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2009
AAAIIIIIEEEE-YAAHH!!!!

Me, I call this "journalists as bait." Really fast, really expensive bait.

People sometimes wonder why I like Formula 1 so much. This is why.

Oh, and I would definitely be able to take off from a standing start.

It's the barriers I'd be worried about.

Posted by scott at 02:46 PM eMail this entry!
June 12, 2009
Product News

Now that the deal is done, more and more details about which Fiat platforms will be heading, and even built, here are coming out. The Jeep brand has always been a jewel for whomever happened to own it at the time, so it's nice to see them continuing it. Putting an Italian-designed body and an Alfa-designed engine into one makes it extremely tempting, IMO. Heck, they'll still be built in Detroit. But I won't hold that against them.

Alfa Romeos being built in the USA. Will wonders never cease?

Posted by scott at 12:30 PM eMail this entry!
June 11, 2009
Alfa Detail

Now that it's done, the models Chrysler and Fiat will be producing together are being detailed. Howabout this:

Alfa Romeo: Fiat plans to build the upcoming Alfa Milano sport sedan and station wagon in one of Chrysler's plants. Another Chrysler plant could build a sporty midsize crossover for the iconic Italian brand. Alfa may also get a larger sport sedan based on the next generation of Chrysler's excellent 300 platform.

Two Milanos in our future? One of which without boged up electrics? Well, stranger things have happened. I can't think of any off hand, but I'm sure they're out there.

Posted by scott at 06:45 AM eMail this entry!
June 10, 2009
... and, Cut. That's a Wrap.

The fat lady would finally seem to be taking the curtain call:

DETROIT — Italy's Fiat is the new owner of most of Chrysler's assets, closing a deal Wednesday that saves the troubled U.S. automaker from liquidation and places a new company in the hands of Fiat's CEO.

Good luck to them!

They're gonna need it.

Posted by scott at 12:25 PM eMail this entry!
Looks Like a "Torpeedah" ta Me

Ares has a fun little guessing game any armchair defense weeny would love.

Posted by scott at 07:34 AM eMail this entry!
June 07, 2009
Volcano Vids

Ok, this is one "first response" team I'm quite happy to have missed:

A crack team of "rapid response" volcano experts scrambled to the South Pacific Ocean last month to find something rarely seen by human eyes: an underwater eruption exploding into the inky, cold depths and spewing lava onto the ocean floor.

Ron gets an explosive no-prize for bringing us news of this rare and spectacular example of nature's fury.

Posted by scott at 10:57 AM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2009
Dead-Ant, Dead-Ant, Dead-Ant Dead-Ant Dead-Ant

Sometimes mash-ups are lame. Then someone goes and combines SEM images with a Google Earth interface. Let me just say I'm glad bugs are small. If they weren't, they'd be much freakier than they really are.

Posted by scott at 07:13 PM eMail this entry!
E3 Ending

It would seem that, at least in the opinion of one attendee, Nintendo was the big winner in this year's E3 show. Since the Wii is the only console we own, that sounds like a big deal to us!

Posted by scott at 02:34 PM eMail this entry!
A Sports Drink, for the Rest of Us

Most of the time, science tells us this is bad, or that is bad. Sometimes though, it tells us something very good indeed. Sorry, Ron, no mention of Southern Comfort being good for after-weights recovery.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2009
Happy Day!

Kinda cool when your family finds the classic car you used to own and gets it running and back in your possession again. Ellen and I don't have this problem. Cars come into our possession intact, and either stay here (White Spider, 13 years and counting), or depart bound only for the yard (previous Spider & Milano).

I wonder where that Duster I had back in 1988 got to...

Posted by scott at 09:26 PM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2009
Fiit Update

Fans of Wii fitness should find all these recently announced expansions of interest. The opportunities scanning one's body into the Wii for Ron to embarrass Amber may just be enough to tip them over to purchase one.

Posted by scott at 12:32 PM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2009
Heather Who?

It would seem the hit movie Heathers is on for a sequel. Since it's been [evil laugh]21 years[/el] since the original, it'll be interesting to see just how it plays out. Slater is on board, apparently as a sort of ghost adviser or something. Here's to hoping it doesn't suck!

Holy crap! She played Spock's MOM?!? Dur. I didn't even recognizer her.

Posted by scott at 01:32 PM eMail this entry!
June 01, 2009
Nice Cars!

I have no idea what to make of this clip. Well, other than it's nice to see Montreal in motion, watch some really cheesy in-car effects, and nice driving.

And watch the French threaten to gum it all up. A Citroen cock-block!

Posted by scott at 08:28 PM eMail this entry!
May 29, 2009
Gun Fun

Nothing like a coil gun to get your day started. Unfortunately the video isn't working for me at the moment, but just from the look of the capacitors it seems pretty interesting.

Posted by scott at 09:27 AM eMail this entry!
May 27, 2009
Case Fun

While definitely nifty, I know Olivia would never actually let me use something like this as a computer. He'd end up with hearts and unicorns and, well, Wall-e stickers all over him.

Posted by scott at 12:18 PM eMail this entry!
May 26, 2009
Tornado Time

Jeff gets a swirling no-prize Ellen will want to chase for bringing us news of the latest-and-greatest tornado chasing project. The article also includes 2 other bits of good news: Storm Chasers is on track for a third season, and they're going to be covering this project, at least for one episode.

Posted by scott at 01:06 PM eMail this entry!
Fun with Geology

While I'd known of most of these "10 Geological Wonders", it was still neat to look at. And guess what... the Soviets created at least one of them.

Posted by scott at 09:45 AM eMail this entry!
May 22, 2009
Hey, Turns Out There Is Something Worthwhile in Baltimore

Hopefully they won't park it in the convention center garage:

The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is one of Fiat Group's latest and most ambitious supercar projects. Sold by the team at Maserati of Baltimore, the exotic modern classic is sure to become a legend in the motorsports world for it's sharp design. As a new resident in Baltimore, she will hopefully be the photo focus of exotic spotter cameras and video sightings all around the charm city region and Washington DC Metro glam nightclubs.

If nothing else, it greatly increases the chance one will be around next year's Owner's Club convention, which is happening in Maryland.

With bells on, baby, with bells on!

Posted by scott at 02:21 PM eMail this entry!
May 19, 2009
Dead but not Gone

Artificial Owl seems to be a website dedicated to pictures of abandoned things. It's surprising that, even in the modern world, ruins have both power and beauty. Case in point, the SS America, which is the subject of one of the remarkable pictures on the masthead of the Owl site. Sadly, America seems to have been pounded to bits now, and no longer stands sentinel over that lonely bit of beach.

Posted by scott at 11:34 AM eMail this entry!
Shuttle Pics

There's no better way to start the day than looking at a whole passel of shuttle pictures. I think the shot with both of them mounted on their pads is the most impressive. That would've made our visit to the cape a lot more interesting. Unfortunately I think they wouldn't've let us get even that close if the shuttles had been out then.

Posted by scott at 09:33 AM eMail this entry!
May 18, 2009
It's the Great Moonshot, Charlie Brown

This month marks the 40th anniversary of Apollo 10, who's lunar module Snoopy orbits the sun to this day. Now that would be an interesting snag for some future space archeologist!

Posted by scott at 02:01 PM eMail this entry!
May 15, 2009
The Sun is There

Nothing like a little back-light to really punch up the shot. There must be some reason why nobody's ever tried this with the ISS, which is a lot bigger than either of these things.

Posted by scott at 05:58 PM eMail this entry!
Fridge Picks

Turns out it's just as interesting to stare into other people's refrigerators. Hopefully that critter was dead before he was put in the freezer. I'm not holding out a lot of hope, though.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2009
Speaking of Ruining Someone's Day...

While sinking a zodiac-like inflatable boat at 100 yards via remote control sounds pretty nifty, it's when they start talking about mixing pepper spray into the stream that it suddenly turns into a lot of fun. Well, if you're not a pirate, at any rate.

If the ship already has high pressure water available, I can literally see no down side to this, other than perhaps expense. Now that insurance rates for shipping through pirate-infested waters is presumably on the rise, I'm not sure that impediment will hold out for long.

No, it's not quite as satisfying as picking them off with a Barrett .50, but it has the advantage of shutting up all the bleeding hearts in Berkeley and Brussels. Anything that puts a cork in those particular bungholes is all right by me.

Posted by scott at 02:15 PM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2009
Insert "Fernando" Joke Here

Can't see how we missed this one: on Friday it was announced the songwriting duo behind ABBA have reunited, albeit only for one song. If loving kitschy pop songs is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Posted by scott at 01:59 PM eMail this entry!
May 10, 2009
Take 3

[Ellen]: “Is it pretty?”

Dude: “What is?”

Me: “The engine. Is it pretty?

Dude: “Why do I want to see if the engine is pretty?”

Me: “Exactly.”

Posted by scott at 08:06 PM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2009
Poster Fun

If only the second set of movies had been this clever. I guess we'll have to go out and see this at some point. If we ever get back to Florida (it is in Florida, right?), that is.

Posted by scott at 12:49 PM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2009
Don't Get Much More Official Than That

Everyone please stand for the fat lady to sing her song:

Chrysler LLC today announced that, as a result of the comprehensive restructuring plan agreed to by many of its stakeholders, it has reached an agreement in principle to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat SpA to form a vibrant new company. It will allow Chrysler and Fiat to fully optimize their respective manufacturing footprints and the global supplier base, while providing each with access to additional markets. Fiat powertrains and components will also be produced at Chrysler manufacturing sites.

The MSM is finally glomming onto the fact that Fiat really never has made particularly sturdy cars. Truth is, Italians don't consider screwing a car together correctly all that important. Design, beauty, performance, and heritage are all far more important. If it means the trim falls off, well trim doesn't make it go faster now, does it?

Thing is, Americans will put up with a surprising amount of this sort of foolishness as long as they feel they're being taken care of, and the whatever it is doesn't keep breaking the same thing over and over again. Fiat's quality is supposed to have picked up dramatically in just the past four years or so. Will it be enough? Who knows?

I'm just happy they're back!

Posted by scott at 07:18 PM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2009
When Forced Perspective Attacks

There's camouflage, and then there's camouflage. Since it's not active, it only works from one specific spot, but still.

Hey, she's a college student. She's supposed to have too much time on her hands.

Posted by scott at 05:05 PM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2009
Your Thought for the Day

waterfall.jpg

[Ellen]: “Is it pretty?”

Dude: “What is?”

Me: “The engine. Is it pretty?”

Dude: “Why do I want to see if the engine is pretty?”

Me: “Exactly.”

Posted by scott at 08:58 PM eMail this entry!
I Shall Call Them, "People Tanks"

First it was a "sky bridge" over the Grand Canyon. Now it's observation rooms on the soon-not-to-be Sears Tower. I'm not particularly acrophobic, but I think I'd have to peer out from the side on this one. And how'd you like to work that construction job?

Posted by scott at 11:51 AM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2009
A Done Deal.

Well, now they've moved on to actual production plans:

The first Fiat car to arrive will be the 500, known as the Cinquecento, an update of the Italian classic from the 1960s that has earned comparisons to the more expensive Mini Cooper and has been a big hit since its introduction in Europe two years ago.


...
In Europe, the Fiat 500 sells for roughly 9,000 euros, or $12,000, on average. The Mini, made by BMW, sells on average for $25,600 in the United States.
...
Alfa Romeo will return with the MiTo, a compact now on sale in Europe, as well as the Milano, reviving a name from the 1980s and 1990s.

The Italians' saving grace has always been price, and their downfall was always taking direct aim at the likes of BMW and Mercedes. If they can mesh successfully with Chrysler, make cars at least as reliable as a Toyota, and priced less than their European competitors, they won't be able to build them fast enough.

Is a new Alfa in our future? Not immediately. Our current automotive need, such as it is, is not for a sedan or a micro-car, but instead for a truckster. If the oft-rumored Alfa crossover becomes a reality we'll likely be at the dealership with bells on. Until then, well, until then it'll just be nice to see the ol' cross-and-serpent in US dealerships.

Here's to hoping they have a long, happy relationship, with new cars for all!

Posted by scott at 08:27 PM eMail this entry!
April 29, 2009
~ Here I Come / To Save the Day ~

Fiat and Chrysler would appear to have reached a final deal. New Alfa Romeo cars would seem to be heading our way, if rumors are true as early as next year.

An ironic twist, really. It was a deal with Chrysler back in the mid 1980s that was widely seen as instrumental in Fiat pulling the marque out of the US. Here's to hoping this deal turns out better than that one, and the one after with Mercedes. After all, when more choices show up, the consumer is the one who wins.

Posted by scott at 08:20 PM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2009
Exit Pontiac...

Enter Alfa:

Chrysler LLC and the U.S. Treasury Dept. have reached an agreement with banks and private equity firms holding $6.9 billion of the automaker’s debt. Those firms have agreed to take $2 billion and a small equity stake in the company, paving the way, it seems, for Chrysler to avoid bankruptcy and with Italian automaker Fiat.

No, the fat lady hasn't sung, but I think I can hear her warming up in the wings.

Posted by scott at 07:19 PM eMail this entry!
Now That's a Car!

Why pay big bucks for some super-reliable modern Japanese Q-ship when you can spend it on one of the quirkiest automobiles ever built in Britain? I remember lusting after these cars as a kid not because they were pretty, but because they were really expensive and made it look like you were driving around in an Atari game system. I think the car failed in large part exactly because of this.

Posted by scott at 02:04 PM eMail this entry!
April 27, 2009
I Find Your Lack of Back-up Singers Disturbing

Ron gets a no-prize with a striped vest and one of those funny flat straw hats for bringing us this most distinctive of tributes to John Williams. Personally, I think Joshua does a better Wookie.

Posted by scott at 09:07 AM eMail this entry!
April 24, 2009
What's Next? A Green Checkered Flag?

A university project has created a Formula 3 race car built with as many renewable resources as possible. The fiber and foam replacements sound interesting, but I wonder how flammable they are? If you have to treat your nice green car with nasty artificial chemicals to keep it from crisping the driver in an accident well, that sort of seems to miss the point, doesn't it?

Posted by scott at 11:52 AM eMail this entry!
April 21, 2009
I Shall Call it, "Porta Tub"

Now I know what we'll take on our next hike. What? Why no, I don't think the park rangers will have a problem with it. Why do you ask?

Posted by scott at 01:23 PM eMail this entry!
April 16, 2009
MiTo Test

The first road test of the Alfa MiTo explicitly written with an eye for the US market is up, and things would seem to be very, very good. It's a little fan-boyish, yes, but the cars tend to do that to people. And hey, what's not to love about a car like that which can get 40 mpg and starts at perhaps $15k? Beats the hell out of a Mini!

And if Ellen didn't want one before, she'll probably want one now:

Another great feature of the Blue&Me system is the telephone integration, allowing you to pair up Bluetooth-enabled mobiles so you can use your phone with your contacts directly via the steering wheel-mounted controls. Alternatively, and this is quite slick, you can use the voice-activated commands. Depending on mobile phone type, it will even read out SMS messages for you. Once the set-up process is completed, the system recognizes your phone the minute you get in and start the car.
Posted by scott at 10:22 AM eMail this entry!
April 15, 2009
Leave it to the Japanese

It appears someone has finally come out with an honest-to-God powered armor suit. Personally, I'll believe it when I see one of Nippon's finest hopping around like a giant grasshopper. Until then, it's as real to me as the suit Ellen's latest "I definitely don't think he's cute oh Amber isn't he dreamy?!?" crush wore in Iron Man.

Posted by scott at 01:57 PM eMail this entry!
Rollin' Snow

They look like hay bales made of ice. Now for some snow cows and snow horses to eat them!

Posted by scott at 10:20 AM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2009
Bottin' Around

It seems New Yorkers aren't anywhere near as nasty as their reputation would have you believe. And by "New York," I mean the city, and by the "city" I of course mean Manhattan. What to the rest of us is obvious requires a great deal of clarification when one's relatives live near the city.

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
April 10, 2009
My Next Alfa?

Even though, by rumor, they only brought exactly 6 of them over, I definitely think one of these will end up in my garage (warning: French video). Then again, I'm cheating, because I know one of the six owners, who's only looking for a loon who'll pay what he's asking.

What? Why's everyone looking at me all of a sudden? Do I, like, have a "cross-and-serpent" t-shirt one right now?!?

Oh... wait...

Posted by scott at 08:41 PM eMail this entry!
April 08, 2009
Fun with Music

I don't know what it is, but I like it. The best games are the ones that are easy to learn, hard to master.

Posted by scott at 05:30 PM eMail this entry!
April 06, 2009
Trash Pick and Bags Needed!

Apa, 49, has become increasingly concerned about the damage inflicted on the world's highest mountain by both climate change and the waste left by careless climbers.

This spring season he hopes to conquer Everest for the 19th time, and he will use the trip to focus attention on how climate change is affecting the Himalayas -- and also bring back down as much rubbish as he can carry.

Link.

No Scott, just because I can carry 10 bags at once and a cat carrier and Olivia does not make me a sherpa.

Posted by Ellen at 09:20 PM eMail this entry!
April 03, 2009
The Secret Face

It seems the famous bust of queen Nefertit has a hidden secret. Yes, Ron, I said "bust." Would someone please give him a glass of water or something?

Posted by scott at 12:25 PM eMail this entry!
April 01, 2009
I Can Has HMO?
Posted by scott at 09:16 AM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2009
SuperChild

Meet Liam Hoekstra, one of the very very rare people to have myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy, or muscle enlargement:

Liam has the kind of physical attributes that bodybuilders and other athletes dream about: 40 percent more muscle mass than normal, jaw-dropping strength, breathtaking quickness, a speedy metabolism and almost no body fat.

Lest we all become too envious, it's important to keep in mind that, while his soft-tissue changes make him seem almost superhuman, his skeleton, and most importantly his joints, have not changed at all. Like a car, the human body is an intricate, inter-related system. Also like a car, beefing up the power without simultaneously strengthening the support structures results in something fun, but fragile.

To put it another way, there's a reason professional athletes in strenuous sports end up being forced to retire due to injuries, and it's not always the fault of physical contact.

Posted by scott at 09:09 AM eMail this entry!
March 30, 2009
Soup for Nuts

Robert H. gets a red, juicy no-prize for bringing us news that you, too, can plant your very own Campbell's tomato soup tomato. People learn to fear Ellen in the fall when she totes paper sacks around, for they know this means a large number of home-grown tomatoes are headed their way.

Posted by scott at 02:05 PM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2009
It's the Wrong Museum, Grommit!

The Science Museum in London has a new exhibit opening which features Nick Park's best-known characters hosting "what every aspiring inventor needs to know." Here's to hoping the show goes on the road, and over the pond, some time in the future!

Posted by scott at 10:27 AM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2009
Go Tivo Go!

Blockbuster's on-line rental service is coming to Tivo. Unlike the Netflix service, this new one is available to Series 2 users. We've been using the Amazon download service for about six weeks now and are very pleased with it. More selections is a good thing!

Posted by scott at 02:12 PM eMail this entry!
New Tech Update

Tired of gloom and doom? Take a look at what might be coming down the ol' technology pike soon. Exploitable zero-point energy sounds just way beyond fantastic. That is, if it's not just fantastic.

Posted by scott at 10:04 AM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2009
Good for Them

Ol' Harry finally coughed up a ring for Calli.

I distinctly remember all the papers playing up the "Did you know Harrison Ford's dating a girl more than 20 years younger than he is?" when they got together. The papers neglected to mention his "girl" was in her late 30s at the time. Grownup celebrities are only allowed to be so if the MSM allows them.

Posted by scott at 06:42 PM eMail this entry!
March 20, 2009
My Latest Obsession...

Let me show you it... my latest obsession.

Ok, obsession's probably too strong. My latest "makes me itch & makes you think I'm weirder than usual." As if that were possible.

At any rate, it really captures what's so artful about these one-off Italian GTs. 0-60 in just under 6 seconds is only reasonably quick by today's standards, but with those curves...

Posted by scott at 05:36 PM eMail this entry!
Milano 2.0

Nobody's sure if it's coming to our shores, but the next Alfa to bear the name "Milano" seems to be coming along nicely. I hope one day it does, just so I can park ours next to one.

Posted by scott at 01:19 PM eMail this entry!
Kya-BOOM!!!

F- taking pictures of whales... this is the kind of "get inna boat & go lookit" adventure I'd want to try. No scuba for you, there's undersea volcanoes about!

Posted by scott at 06:48 AM eMail this entry!
March 19, 2009
Toyz!!!

Leave it to the Japanese to create the ultimate Italian car memorabilia store. Not just Alfa (although there's a ton of that in there), but just about any Italian car-related badge seems to be in there. A few Germans too. Don't delay, the chotchkee-lover you please next could be you!

Posted by scott at 02:36 PM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2009
Magic Motorcycle

Well, they may be old news to motorcycle fans, but I'd certainly never seen a "hubless" motorcycle before. And, since my opinion is the only one that counts, it means nobody else has either. So there you go!

Posted by scott at 11:09 AM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2009
Cruisin'

Sometimes, when I think about touring Italy one day, I do a little daydreaming about what it would be like to haul the Spider back to the land of it's birth and go for a drive. Turns out I can get rather close to that dream, without having to rent a container and wait for a transatlantic boat trip. I do think having a repair truck following me around would be a bit tacky.

Posted by scott at 02:02 PM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2009
Little. Stubby. Different.

So, will this be one of the new Alfas to land on our shores? In all honesty, I can't say that I find it pretty. Then again, when I think that its main competition is supposed to be the Mini and that godawful Smart car, well... suddenly it becomes a whole lot prettier. You certainly wouldn't mistake it for any other car on the road. Considering how hard it is to tell any new car from any other new car nowadays, that's a real achievement.

Posted by scott at 05:23 PM eMail this entry!
March 11, 2009
Multi Fun

The folks who revolutionized auto diesels are now bringing a new valve train technology into production. Actuating valves with something other than a spring smells a lot like F-1 technology. Considering Fiat has underwritten the Ferrari F-1 team for decades, it's not that far of a leap.

Posted by scott at 06:00 PM eMail this entry!
A Painting, by Any Other Name...

Ron gets a no-prize that'll spout "verily" a lot for bringing us news that a portrait of Shakespeare made during his lifetime has been found. Found here being a relative term... the painting has apparently been in the possession of the same family for generations. It was only when one of the family members saw the famous copy of the painting in the Folger Library in Washington DC, in 2006, that the connection was made.

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
March 10, 2009
Run For Cover...No Really!

Jack Hayes, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service, included a researcher from the National Center for Atmospheric Research Societal Impacts Program on the assessment team to examine why many people did not take action to protect themselves.

See! It was the presidental primary elections after all!

Posted by Ellen at 09:23 PM eMail this entry!
Set Your Clocks

It would seem tomorrow's Space Shuttle launch may just be visible to those of us in Northern VA. Unfortunately we live in the bottom of a shallow bowl, next to a big bright busy airport. Still, might be worth a look.

Posted by scott at 08:50 PM eMail this entry!
Money Perspective

Ron gets the famous pinky-to-mouth-corner no-prize for bringing us this set of illustrations that graphically demonstrates what a trillion dollars really means. It's my understanding that one of the biggest problems bank robbers have is not security, but transportation. It's all well and good to hold up an armored car, but it's often not understood they're big for more than one reason.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2009
Now Playing

The remains of William Shakespeare's first theatre have been found in East London.

Archaelogists from the Museum Of London unearthed what they believe to be part of the original curved wall of the first Globe Theatre in Shoreditch.

Concession stands unearthed next.

Posted by Ellen at 09:42 PM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2009
WHOAH!

I think I would flush all sorts of stuff with this.

My goldfish would finally fit and I would not have to tell my nice neighbor where NOT to dig in my garden!*

*Nice neighbor likes to plant flowers and stuff in my garden. He weeds it too. I'm not complaining. Just stay away from kitten corner.

Posted by Ellen at 08:44 PM eMail this entry!
Death Thump

Ron gets a no-prize that'll rumble the kitties off their perches for bringing us this Star Wars-based bit of hi-fi componentry. I don't want one because I don't feel like going through all the damned work. Others, maybe not so much.

Posted by scott at 12:59 PM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2009
Galileo's finger goes on display in Italy

How neat!

The finger was removed when the astronomer's body when it was exhumed from his unconsecrated grave and transferred to a mausoleum in a Florentine church in 1737. It is usually on display at Florence's Museum of the History of Science.
Posted by Ellen at 08:54 PM eMail this entry!
Tiny Robots for Tiny People

Slashdot linked up news that LEGO has come up with a robotic kit targeted for kids aged 5-10. Being the owner of one unit of same, and always looking for something Olivia and I could do together, I was a bit disappointed to find out the product seems (at least for now) to be targeted, and priced, for teachers with classrooms. Oh well. Still, it'll be something I'll keep my eyes out for, perhaps this Christmas?

Posted by scott at 10:38 AM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2009
A Really Tasty Show

Ron gets a very edible no-prize for bringing us the 11th annual chocolate fashion show. It's exactly, and exactly not, what you think.

Posted by scott at 06:59 PM eMail this entry!
Boom!

Personally, I can think of no better application of applied sciences than re-creating old cannon and firing them. Turns out they're more powerful than previously thought.

Posted by scott at 04:13 PM eMail this entry!
Hopefully this Video will Stick Around Awhile

Looks like at least one British car tester likes the MiTo. If it out-performs a Mini, is priced a little less than the Mini, and most important of all is built at least as well as the Mini, they won't be able to make them fast enough to meet US demand. If they bring them over here, that is.

Posted by scott at 11:32 AM eMail this entry!
Spin-Off Formula

While I think it's a bit of a stretch to call some of these gizmos and technologies Formula 1 spin-offs, they're still pretty neat and hey, who knows?

Posted by scott at 08:09 AM eMail this entry!
March 03, 2009
Halo Goes to War

It would seem at least one person thinks Halo's transition from FPS to RTS was successful. Ok trust me, if you don't know what that means it means you don't care. For the rest of us... well, RTS's can be pretty darned nerve wracking to me, but they're still fun. I'm just nowhere near as good at them as I am at shooters. We'll see...

Posted by scott at 01:31 PM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2009
Milano Surprise!

Posted by Ellen at 09:23 PM eMail this entry!
Alfa Archeology

Look what I found!!!

alfawindowsticker.jpg

We couldn't find a tire pressure placard on the car itself, so this morning I had Ellen fish the owners manual & paperwork out of its hidey-hole on the parcel shelf behind the rear seats. No, really, that's where Alfa put it! Anyway, this afternoon, waiting for Ellen to gather Olivia out of Tai Kwon Do, I got bored and started digging around, and found this! Yep, that's the Holy Grail of classic car nut-dom, the Original Window Sticker. And get this, the car was originally sold in Rapid City South Dakota!

In other news, there was once an Alfa Romeo dealership in Rapid City, South Dakota.

1988 Price: 21,150. Adjusted for inflation: $40,010.

I found a few other things that seem to indicate the car sat in a dealership for four years before being sold. Carfax's report was nothing like this, which makes me seriously call into question that service's accuracy, at least in the early years.

Ain't classic car ownership grand? :)

Posted by scott at 08:47 PM eMail this entry!
Whee!!! II

Today's "uppity Italian sedan staying with cars it should instead be worshiping" is brought to you by Laguna Seca raceway. Special guest star: an Acura NSX. Race starts at 3:50, the fun starts at 11:50.

Posted by scott at 12:53 PM eMail this entry!
February 26, 2009
Cave House

For me, there's nothing wrong with 17,000 square foot of cave-house. Ellen's enchanted with big, open windows all over the place, A/C bill bedamned, so I'm not so sure about her preference. Oh, and I don't see an obvious garage, so that might be a deal breaker right there.

Hey, a man's gotta have priorities!

Posted by scott at 03:38 PM eMail this entry!
February 25, 2009
OOOH!!! AHHH!!! PRETTY!!!

I'm not sure there's enough trouble in the world to describe what I'd be in if this followed me home (auction link, "moar pix" are here...) That said, if all my goofy ravings have given you a virtual bite on the head*, well, this is definitely one helluva piece of zombie food. When new, I think they were ~ $40k. I do not know but suspect the reserve will be somewhere around half that.

Oh shaddup, and start breathing again. It's a Q4!!! AWD, FTW!!! Probably still smells new! Someone I know must buy it so I can get a ride in it, dammit!

No?

Philistines....

----
* Except for Joshua, who doesn't fit in Alfas with roofs on.

Posted by scott at 10:57 AM eMail this entry!
February 22, 2009
Mini Fab

Today it's at Jay Leno's garage. Tomorrow, it could be in mine. Be sure to hang on until the half-way point, when they show off a working crescent wrench that was scanned fully assembled, and printed exactly the same way.

There are dozens of little parts for the Milano that are NLA*. Maybe they won't be for much longer.

----
* No Longer Available.

Posted by scott at 08:00 AM eMail this entry!
February 20, 2009
"Bump Drafting", Euro-Style

Oh come on. It's 60 seconds. If nothing else, a preview of what Ellen would have done to the last Milano, had it lasted.

Posted by scott at 08:28 PM eMail this entry!
Server Go Boom

It's probably for the best I don't know anyone with a big shooting range or access to any sort of explosives. If I did, I'm pretty sure I'd try a stunt like this. Only, you know, dumber. Personal injury FTW!

Posted by scott at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
February 19, 2009
Goofy Italian Sedan: 1, American Muscle: 0

Which is why I like road course racing best. All the horsepower in the world, and in this case I'm just about certain that Corvette has got at least a 100 hp advantage, won't do you any good if you don't know how to turn and brake.

I've told the owners of various overpowered or overmodded cars that yes, their car is quick and yes, it will definitely beat mine in a quarter mile drag race. Thing is, I'd tell them, there's always a left or right turn at the end of the quarter miles I want to run on, and that'll be where I'll say, "buh-bye."

Now, I have proof.

And yes, I know the driver made those passes in spite of his car, not because of it. He also overcooked it in turn 6. Hey, if you're not spinning out occasionally, you're not trying.

Posted by scott at 06:16 PM eMail this entry!
February 18, 2009
~ Everything Old is New Again ~

It's official: if they actually bring Alfas over here, one of 'em's gonna be called Milano. An Italian-language article has some speculative pictures on what the new models might look like. I've worked too dratted hard on Ellen's car to give it up any time soon, but I must admit the 2011 timing of a purported crossover SUV would be a mighty tempting replacement for the family truckster, especially if it's VW-priced instead of BMW-priced.

Meh. Fun to think about, that's all.

Posted by scott at 07:34 PM eMail this entry!
Chicken Little's Map

Ron's Mark's next no-prize will fall out of the sky on him because he let us know about the EDIS map, your one-stop-shop for everything disaster. Worldwide!

Posted by scott at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
Ridin' a Rail

I know from experience these little monsters are fast:

A turnstile-jumping tot, who can't even speak yet, gave his mom an 11-minute scare Tuesday when he slipped out of a Queens restaurant and jumped on a No. 7 train.

Olivia pulled her disappearing act when she was 4, stayed gone for about five minutes until I found her a few dozen yards down the beach. I called it a "powerful, cheap lesson."

About a great many things.

Posted by scott at 09:35 AM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2009
Yet Another Barn Find

Mark gets a dusty yet very valuable no-prize for bringing us news of a discovery that would warm any descendant's heart:

A classic Bugatti car, which gathered dust in a Tyneside garage for half a century, has been sold for 3.4m euros (Ł3m) at an auction in Paris.

Bonhams had listed lot 17403 as a "motoring icon" with an engine that has not been fired up for 50 years.

Relatives of reclusive Newcastle doctor Harold Carr found the 1937 Type 57S Atalante in a garage after he died.

I'll wager it'll take quite a bit of work even to get the engine to turn over. Of course, with a car like this, getting it running is always the easiest part.

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2009
Charting the Changes

As I'm sure you all know, the 2009 F-1 season is right around the corner. Even those in the peanut gallery who aren't waiting for Melborne should find this 2 minute explanation of what's been changed at least mildly interesting, if nothing else for the way-cool computer graphics. Something not mentioned, but which seems obvious to me, is that the cars seem to be getting, well, pretty again. With all the wings, barge boards, and shark gills, it was hard to see the car, let alone appreciate its wickedly functional beauty. No more. And it promotes overtaking! Could this herald the end of the endless, changeless parades that too many races had become? Only time will tell.

Posted by scott at 08:03 PM eMail this entry!
Bring 'em On

If, and let's all admit it is a monstrously big if, the stars align, Fiat's plan to bring two Italian models to the US next year may actually come to pass. A tiny Fiat and a smallish Alfa? Well, why not? To make it even spicier for your friendly local Alfa nuts, the model that may get shipped over is (apparently) due to be named Milano.

Posted by scott at 10:37 AM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2009
~ They're Magically Deli-- ~" *SCREECH!!!* "AAAG!" *CLANG!!!* *PLINK PLINK PLINK PLINK*

In other words, this is not a cool photo, it's an after-the-fact shot of a leprechaun's last moments. Ah well, I guess the pot of gold buried in the grill means you won't need to explain it all to the insurance adjuster, eh?

Posted by scott at 09:01 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2009
Tornady Chasin'

I know, I know... I'm on my own if I go chase.

No wait....Ammmberrrr.....

Posted by Ellen at 09:04 PM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2009
Fun in the Electric Sun

Finally, the intartubestm are living up to their "anarchic" expectations: Wikileaks has just released several tons of kinda-sorta-as-long-as-they-don't-find-out-secret Congressional reports on, basically, everything. It remains to be seen whether the party of "hope and change" will move decisively toward business as usual and actively attempt to close this firehose of potentially explosive information. Being a cynical, card-carrying member of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, I think you already know what I think will happen.

Posted by scott at 03:40 PM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2009
Your Thought for the Day: "Green" Classics

I, of course, need no justification, because I'm nuts. Oh stop nodding, that's not funny. Anyway, those of you with a more green bent who feel a pang or two of angst about keeping an old, "inefficient" classic car (or motorcycle, or boat, as the case may be) on the road may find this heartening:

[W]hile many newer cars operate with far greater efficiency, producing very few hydrocarbons at the tailpipe, etc, the amount of resources required throughout the production life-cycle when assembling a new car is astonishing when you consider the development and machining of all the tooling equipment, the refining of raw resources, and sheer volume of oil required to fuel that process before any gasoline ever even enters a tank.

Yes, getting a new car will generally produce fewer emissions and consume less fuel than an older one ... but I just simply can't justify supporting the idea that next year's model is the best one yet, and that we need to keep disposing, trading, our cars in for new ones to be 'responsible'. If I can reasonably maintain a car so that it is at peak efficiency and already using relatively little fuel, what justification is there for spending more money to use more resources to purchase something that will probably perform around as well as the old model did?

So, if you're pining for something old and gasoline powered, but have a tiny Al Gore on your shoulder bitching at you, give this argument a whirl. The next classic vehicle you save could be your own!

Via yet another poor bastard who fell victim to the Alfa Entry Drug.

Posted by scott at 07:33 AM eMail this entry!
February 04, 2009
Ship Find

Explorers have discovered the wreck of HMS Victory. No, I hadn't heard of it either, but according to the article it's a mid-18th century British warship which was separated from a fleet in a storm on the English channel and sank with (apparently) all hands. She also sank with some 4 tons of gold coins in her hold, which has yet to be found.

Posted by scott at 11:20 AM eMail this entry!
February 03, 2009
Toodlin' Around II

If nothing else, this should explain why the cars are so narrow. And there's also that whole, "gorgeous old roads in a gorgeous old country" angle, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 06:37 PM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2009
Nice to See They Haven't Changed that Much

We won't see the 159 over here, but the follow-on has a better chance of showing up than anything built previously. Top Gear has it's always unmistakable take on the cross-and-serpent's current mid-sized sports sedan. The walk across water thing is an interesting irrelevancy, but boy, does that guy need a hair cut or what?

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2009
Old House, New Home

NASA has unveiled the new final assembly building for the Orion spacecraft. On the outside, it apparently still looks like the old Operations and Checkout Building (which, if I recall correctly, isn't all that much to look at), but on the inside it's a completely new building. Now if they could just build the damned rocket...

Posted by scott at 01:08 PM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2009
The Magnificent Seven

Looks like Fiat wants to bring seven models over as a result of the Chrysler deal. The Fiat products would appear to be headed for a re-badge, while the Alfa stuff (including the MiTo!) keeps the cross-and-serpent. On one hand, this sounds like a much better pairing than the previously rumored BMW alliance. At least here it's quite obvious the product lines are complimentary. On the other hand, Fiat is signing up with the weakest of the big three, a company that's already failed with one European merger, and is saddled with tons of UAW members.

(With apologies to Pournell & Niven) On the third hand, rumors of a return have flown thick and fast since almost the last car rolled off a boat in '95. Those all came to naught, so chances are very good this one will too.

Dammit.

Posted by scott at 02:04 PM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2009
Thats-A-Spicy-Meat-a-Ball!

While its consequences for Alfa are still unclear, nearly everyone is saying the recently announced Fiat-Chrysler deal will result in re-badged Fiat 500s hitting Chrysler dealerships. No, I'm not familiar with it either, but this was pretty interesting:

No, I don't think it's all that pretty, and no, it wouldn't be my first choice for a car. Like you, I kept squinting at the picture, trying to figure out where the wind-up key goes.

Then again, all I need to do is remember this thing is aimed squarely at the SMART and suddenly I go from "whut?" to "oh hell yes." Unlike that tennis-shoe-on-wheels, this thing seems able to get out of its own way, and then some.

Posted by scott at 09:29 AM eMail this entry!
January 24, 2009
Happy Day!

Happy 25th birthday, Macintosh! In other news, 1984 is now officially 25 years ago. Kids born in that year aren't even in college anymore. Some have kids that are 8 years old.

Bah, I tell you... bah....

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
January 22, 2009
Whee!!!

That's mister funny-looking Italian sedan to you, bub.

I better not catch Ellen doing this. The operative word being "catch," I suppose.

Although it would be funny if she did it with her ma riding along.

"Not with me in the car! Not with me in the car!!!"

Posted by scott at 09:36 AM eMail this entry!
January 21, 2009
"Killer" App

I think this brings "unintended use" to a whole new level: sniper rifle software has been launched for the iPod Touch. It's a music player, and a ballistics computer. Whatabahgain!

Posted by scott at 09:16 AM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2009
Concepts and Differences

Ron gets a no-prize that'll get him a great parking spot at the next car show for bringing us the "ten craziest concept cars of all time." The fact that Alfa topped the list has absolutely no bearing on my willingness to link it up.

StickingToIt(MyStory);

Posted by scott at 05:37 PM eMail this entry!
January 15, 2009
Lookin' Down

Nothing like some hi-rez shots of good ol' planet Earth to give you some quiet contemplation in the afternoon. Every time I think I've seen every unique bit of landscape this place has to offer, I'm proven wrong. It's a good thing!

Posted by scott at 03:04 PM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2009
B.A.T. Mobile

It may have taken attending the Detroit Auto Show to see it, but it would seem the latest iteration of the Alfa Romeo B.A.T. cars is worth it.

For you philistines* scratching your heads, the original B.A.T. cars were 3 Bertone design experiments done on Alfa chassis in the 1950s. As most Alfa show cars and prototypes were wont to do in that era, these "escaped" and ended up in private hands, eventually becoming some of the most coveted cars in the world.

This one seems to mostly be a Maserati under the skin, but it's not like that's a bad thing, either.

----
* See definition 2b.

Posted by scott at 02:46 PM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2009
Whee!!!

One more reason to seriously think about getting a new TV: lunatics back-flipping trucks on New Year's Eve. Even though the clip cuts off before you're sure, the driver was completely OK.

Posted by scott at 01:00 PM eMail this entry!
Sky Car Adventure

Mark gets a no-prize with a parachute attached for bringing us the story of a man who intends to fly and drive from London to Timbuktu. The catch? He'll never change vehicles.

Best of luck, and here's to hoping Hajji decides you're not worth an RPG that day!

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2009
Now That's an Experience!

See! See! we're not the only ones who love these goofy, boxy cars:

Sir Edmund Hillary needed to climb Everest "because it's there," and the same can be said for every racing junkie about "The Green Hell."

"Hell"? Think 13 miles, dozens of corners, 1000 ft. in elevation change and a hotly debated number of annual fatalities among those brave enough to tackle it. Online fan forums mention anything from five to 50.

...

Enter Ron Simons, owner of 75Experience, the de facto official Nordschleife driving school. It holds the largest collection of Alfa Romeo 75s in the world, and one look at the Alfa's boxy shape immediately explains why.

That's right, folks... for a price, you too can tear around the world-famous Nürburgring in a race- prepped Alfa Romeo Milano! Even if they are called 75s over there. Luckily, they also provide an instructor!

According to my sources, the Milanos in use are tattered but still a whole lot of fun. One more thing to add to the list of "to-dos" when we finally make it over there.

Posted by scott at 08:34 AM eMail this entry!
A Hostel, for the Rest of Us

Hey, man, why not turn a surplus 747 into a dorm-style hotel? If it makes money and provides a cheap, safe, clean place to stay, I'm all for it!

Posted by scott at 08:22 AM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2009
Yellow Line Peril

As with most things in television, drawing that simple yellow line on the football field is more complicated than you'd think. Computers are wonderful things!

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
January 04, 2009
Estimated Aging

So, how old is your car? Or cars, as the case may be. Ours:

  • '71 Alfa Romeo Spider: 51 "people years" old.
  • '88 Alfa Romeo Milano: 27
  • '01 Chrysler PT Cruiser: 77

Not too shabby!

Posted by scott at 07:48 AM eMail this entry!
January 02, 2009
More Barn Finds

There's nothing like finding a 1932 Bugatti in the garage your dead uncle left you to pick up your day. Not to mention the E-type and the Aston.

This is most likely something my descendants will not have to worry about, as the cars I leave behind in my garage (hopefully) a long time from now will most likely be in boxes.

Posted by scott at 07:41 AM eMail this entry!
December 29, 2008
Multi-D Fun

Ever wondered just wtf?!? is up with all these multi-dimensional theories? This might help. One of the exciting things about the Large Hadron Collider is, if they can keep it from exploding at any rate, that it will be able to reach energies which should allow us to prove, or disprove, at least some of these "multi-D" theories.

Or create a black hole that'll swallow us all. I forget.

Posted by scott at 08:59 AM eMail this entry!
December 24, 2008
Human Element Tests

All's I can say is, I sure am glad they're using dummies. Testing all the gear the Navy & Marines use to ensure it all works, using way cool explosives and sleds? Sign me up!

Posted by scott at 08:19 AM eMail this entry!
December 20, 2008
Well it's About Time

Never worry again about fried tootsies with this new air-conditioned beach. Bonus: project was announced in time with the opening of yet another loopy environmentalist conference. Let the press releases begin!

Posted by scott at 07:55 AM eMail this entry!
December 19, 2008
Fight Back with Whatever You've Got

While they didn't actually prevent the boarding, these excerpts from a Somali pirate assault on a Chinese cargo ship show that at least some crews are not willing to go quietly. And a big thumbs-down to Malaysian helicopter gunners. If that were me, hey, I'm out to turn those pirate skiffs into flinders scattered across the ocean, not just chase them away. Poverty and piss poor government ain't no excuse for terrorizing the seas.

Reactionary? Me?

Posted by scott at 12:14 PM eMail this entry!
December 18, 2008
Well, Somebody had to be First

Ron gets a no-prize that looks like it should backfire but doesn't for bringing us the story of the very first land speed record. Said speed? 39.24 miles per hour. Which doesn't sound like much to modern ears, but considering the state of automotive engineering at the time (1898) and the average speed of a horse-drawn coach of the era, I'm sure it was plenty exciting for all involved.

Posted by scott at 03:07 PM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2008
Human Flying Squirrels

Just watch.

Posted by Ellen at 09:41 PM eMail this entry!
No-Seeum-Cycle

You remember reading the reason why everything in the 50s seems to be shaped like a jet airplane because it was the technology? Yeah, I guess it's a little like that. I've never even bothered to find out how much one of those dratted things must cost.

Posted by scott at 02:41 PM eMail this entry!
December 16, 2008
Hey, Why Not?

Way to potentially p*ss off the in-laws, moms, grandmoms, and various other hovering relatives, #412: a Halo-themed wedding. Back when we got married, best they had was the PlayStation. A Gran Turismo theme would've been cool, but way beyond our budget.

Posted by scott at 10:20 AM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2008
Most. Appropriate. T-Shirt. Evar!

On today's Price is Right: The Power of The Price Compels You. How Joshua missed that one I'll never know. Guess he's not a game show nut like me.

And yes, I am stuck at home, sick with some plague of some sort introduced either by child or work. Worst part: entertainment news TV. It's very discouraging to try and scream, "WHO THE F--- CARES!?!?" when each attempt triggers a coughing spell. Best part: Watching Price is Right on Tivo delay. No commercials!

This is the first time I've done this in years. Is Judge Judy even on any more? Want to know what my wife will be like in 30 years? Yeah, like that. Hopefully with a big beefy syndication deal thrown into the bargain!

Oh yeah, one other thing. Most disappointing: I stink at The Price is Right. Back when I was a kid, and spent hours pouring over Sears Wishbooks and watching dozens of different game shows during various vacations and breaks in the 70s, I was a freaking guided missile on Price. So far today I'm not even close.

Can you say, "sick and tired of being sick and tired?" I knew you could...

Posted by scott at 11:48 AM eMail this entry!
And the Robodogoflameocycle Goes.... rrrmm....
Posted by scott at 07:58 AM eMail this entry!
Yeah, and Verily

If I didn't already work for a charity, this one would certainly be a worthy cause. Oh heck, it still is. Save those tatas! Ron gets the coveted Evenrude no-prize for bringing us this truly worthy charity.

Posted by scott at 07:44 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2008
My Next Game?

He... OMFG... he actually... liked something!!! Will this be enough to get me back onto Steam? Not at first, but (as I recall), if you buy the CD version the code you get is a "get out of jail free forever" card. We'll see...

Posted by scott at 03:09 PM eMail this entry!
December 10, 2008
It'll Definitely Make the Next BSOD More Impressive

It seems, after all this time, Microsoft is looking to leverage its Flight Simulator engine to cover, well, everything. Falcon 3.0 took a run at this sort of thing way back in the mid-90s, and the result went exactly nowhere. In fact, the resultant sim was so buggy it almost literally took a decade to get right.

Microsoft is of course a bit richer than your garden variety game developer, and this is after all more than ten years later. We'll see...

Posted by scott at 10:26 AM eMail this entry!
December 09, 2008
Deadly Firecrackers

The US Missile Defense agency has released this video of Lockheed Martin's Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV-L) during a recent hover test. It's a good thing it's meant to be used in (or near) space... watch how the cameras shake. It looks to be really loud.

Posted by scott at 10:27 AM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2008
It's Fraggin' Time!

I'll see your bayonet and raise you a chain saw. I'm pretty sure it'd be useless in a real fight, but it sure does look good. For the zombie hunter who has everything!

Posted by scott at 09:35 AM eMail this entry!
December 05, 2008
Daddy Likes

Mah Alfa lust, let me show you it.

Mah Alfa lust.

Thing is, these cars were hand-built out of a bunch of tube steel and some parts out of a bin. The blueprints are public domain. If they were as popular as Cobras, there'd be a cottage industry in S. Africa making them. With me as a customer.

Ah, well. This is the real deal. There's a reason they don't put the price where you can find it.

Me, I wanna see what Carfax says about it. I'm not completely sure it has a proper VIN. I know our 71 spider doesn't, and it was mass-produced.

Posted by scott at 09:45 PM eMail this entry!
Floatin' Their Boat

After a 15-month overhaul period, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is underway again. Hopefully it won't get towed right back as it did so often before this latest re-work. That thing seemed to be puttering around on a hook more often than it ever sailed under it's own power.

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2008
Smart Post

Look out, Hajji! Israel's deploying new toyz:

The Israeli Army is already operating the Sentry-Tech pillbox towers, mounting remote controlled weapon stations from an operational command center
...
As suspected hostile targets are detected and within range of Sentry-Tech positions, the weapons are slewing toward the designated target. As multiple stations can be operated by a single operator, one or more units can be used to engage the target, following identification and verification by the commander.

The sad thing is, it'll probably require sending a brace or two of Palis to their erstwhile reward before they learn these things mean business. Of course, there's always underground...

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
Get it While it's Hot

I guess proof doesn't get any more concrete than seeing a 2008 Alfa on Ebay. Yours for (so far) $190,000. Whatabahgain!!!

I need to find a richer set of friends...

Posted by scott at 08:53 AM eMail this entry!
December 03, 2008
Tiny Things

Mark gets a no-prize that actually can dance on the head of a pin for bringing us the story of Willard Wigan, a man who's entire life's work can fit inside the eyes of needles. Now that, friends, is patience.

Posted by scott at 11:01 AM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2008
Farewell, Nerwin

The inelegantly named but always useful NR-1 nuclear research submarine is finally being retired. Taken down not by obsolescence or wear-and-tear, but rather by the same whimper that gets all unique and uniquely useful machines... a lack of spare parts. Right now she's scheduled for a bone yard. It would be nice to see her in a museum some day.

Posted by scott at 10:41 AM eMail this entry!
November 25, 2008
Liner Notes

Fans of how movies get made, or those who want to drool at pictures of Robert Downey Jr. being pensive [*cough*]Ellen[*cough*] should like perusing Jeff Bridges' scrapbook of the making of Iron Man. And what a strange site he has, too!

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2008
I Wish I Liked the Stuff More

Score one for Coke's marketing department:

Dr Pepper is making good on its promise of free soda now that the release of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" is a reality. The soft-drink maker said in March that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if the album dropped in 2008. "Chinese Democracy," infamously delayed since recording began in 1994, goes on sale Sunday.
...
Beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m., coupons for a free 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper's Web site. They'll be honored until Feb. 28.

Well, I thought Dr. Pepper was owned by Coke. Seems it's owned by Snapple. Did I dream that, or did they get sold at some point?

Posted by scott at 02:39 PM eMail this entry!
Chop Stop

Ron gets a no-prize that still has all its fingers for bringing us this graphic (but not gross!) demonstration of the "SawStop", a very valuable safety option for table saws. I seem to recall hearing about these quite some time ago, but I'd never seen anyone with the guts to actually try it themselves. And, while I can't blame the guy, it looks more like he touched the side of the blade than the teeth. Meh, still pretty spectacular stuff. I certainly wouldn't want to use a table saw without one.

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2008
Fun with Perspective

Sometimes it's lighting, sometimes it's the subject, and sometimes all that's required is the "right" angle. Ellen and I try to do this occasionally, but we can't quite get it all to line up.

Posted by scott at 01:35 PM eMail this entry!
November 20, 2008
Fun with Sinks

Me, I like the one that doesn't look like it has a drain. I definitely don't want to know how much any of them might cost, if they're for sale at all.

Via Violins and Starships.

Posted by scott at 03:02 PM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2008
Honda Fun

Honda: the good news is, it's run by engineers. The bad news is, it's run by engineers, although just how that's bad isn't explained in the article.

Alfa used to be like this, making lots of different models and coming up with all sorts of interesting solutions to all kinds of problems. Unfortunately the company was eventually destroyed when the government bureaucrats who ran it decided to use it as an instrument of social justice instead of a company with which to make and sell cars.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
That's Mister Tor-Twa To You, Bub

Mike P. gets a 1/72 scale no-prize for bringing us this anime visualization of a tortoise tank. If it were ours, it'd munch up a bunch of fuel and then hide in its hangar the rest of the day.

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
November 17, 2008
November 16, 2008
Attic Find

Most of the time, when making the final cleanout of the grandparent's home, you find things you will treasure. Sometimes, though, you find something the whole country will appreciate:

Tony and Albert Fagler didn't know too much about Grandpa Albert, except that he did something with photography in the armed forces during World War II.

When Grandma Betty died in 2000, the boys had the task of cleaning out their grandparent's home in Englewood.

In the basement, they found an old cardboard drum, mostly full of junk and old pictures. They also found three sealed canisters of very old 16mm film.

Turns out the film, which had to be quite carefully digitized, was gun camera footage, scenes of ground combat aftermaths, and a color film of their grandparent's honeymoon. Sweet!

Posted by scott at 10:19 AM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2008
At Speed

Exactly how a 200 hp 2L four banger is able to confidently pick off, well, everything on the track from Porsche to Ferrari to (no, really!) Chrysler I think perhaps is more about the driver than the car. But it sure does make a sweet sound, eh?

The weapon in question is...

202797_1198256989759l.jpg

A "1970 GTA Stradale Replica". More pictures are here: http://bertonebilder.alfatreter.com/#home

The event is "onboard salzburgring sounds of speed 2008".

Posted by scott at 07:20 AM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2008
Well, It's a Start

After an absence of nearly 15 years, Alfa Romeo is once again selling cars in the US. $200,000+ cars, mind you, so I'm not looking for one in my driveway any time soon. Well, unless Bill Gates or someone like that reads this thing, in which case, black seems a nice color!

Oh, and it's good to see Keith's Stradale ended up somewhere nice in the US.

Posted by scott at 05:44 PM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2008
Googling the Ancients

Google has added ancient Rome to the list of cities which can be accessed via Google Earth. In spite of the company's "do it all, with magic" reputation, they did not in fact invent a time machine. Instead they worked with scholars and modelers to create a virtual version.

Posted by scott at 02:35 PM eMail this entry!
That's not a Knife...

...this is a knife:

A Royal Navy warship has rescued a Danish vessel after it came under attack from Somali pirates.

HMS Cumberland and the Russian frigate Neustrashimy repelled the attempted raid in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday.

Meh. I bet they were hoping to shoot the big gun this time.

Posted by scott at 07:35 AM eMail this entry!
November 12, 2008
If Only GM'd Actually Made One

Ron gets a weird hybrid no-prize with a mullet on for bringing us this strange yet strangely cool amalgam of some classic 90s sh-tbox cars. Question the motives? Sure? Admire the craftsmanship? Definitely.

Posted by scott at 04:11 PM eMail this entry!
November 11, 2008
Fancy Junk

So what does one do with all the bits that make up "big science" after big science has moved on? Well, this! Just about any complex machine can be turned into attractive sculpture*, and since these are much more complex than most...

I bet those are some of the most expensive garden sculptures in the world.

----
* C.f. Romeo, Alfa.

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2008
Award Time!

Congratulations to Alfa Romeo and its parent company FIAT for snagging the 2009 European Car of the Year award for the MiTo. This is quite different from the award Motor Trend gives out. Instead, this one is awarded by a consensus vote of European automotive journalists.

The latest in the rumor mill is that, if they ever come back, the MiTo will be sold alongside the Mini, using that marque's dealer network. We'll see...

Posted by scott at 01:18 PM eMail this entry!
Mr. Fission Update

Those "buried-in-the-back-yard" nuclear power plants we talked about a few years ago seem to be coming along nicely. Even as gas prices fall, it's just possible the oil bubble stuck around long enough to get these alternative energy sources past their R&D financing hump, making them much more likely to be put into production. Like I've said before, anything that gets Hajji and his oil-rich financiers closer to a bread line is fine by me.

Posted by scott at 11:48 AM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2008
I Like it!

Alfa 169, anyone? Even if they did manage to bring them over here, I doubt I'd be able to afford it. But it's fun to dream!

Posted by scott at 09:25 AM eMail this entry!
Did You Know?

Some of the facts read like they're from the "pulling numbers out of my rear end" dept., but they're still fun to think about.

Mark gets a fun, fact-filled no-prize for bringing us this quick ditty not only about how far we've come, but how much farther we're going to go.

Posted by scott at 09:09 AM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2008
Bang Box

Ron gets a no-prize he can holster a gun in for bringing us The Box of Truth, a science-driven site dedicated to investigating just about every question anyone's ever thought of about firearms. It's a good thing!

Posted by scott at 08:49 AM eMail this entry!
November 04, 2008
Your Next TV?

Televisions capable of showing 3D images without requiring the viewer to wear special glasses are on the way. If the article is accurate, the effect works but has limitations. Additionally, as with all new electronic tech the first generation is expensive, with the bigger sets scheduled to start at ~$15,000.

Posted by scott at 01:49 PM eMail this entry!
Lunch: Not Yours

Mark gets a no-prize that'll squawk at the touch of a button for bringing us this video of a penguin doing whatever it takes to avoid becoming a whale snack. And boy, you can really tell those whales aren't happy about it one damned bit.

Posted by scott at 09:15 AM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2008
Scribblings

Forget Tacitus, Suetonius, or either of the Plinys. If you really want to know what the average Roman was like, just look at their graffiti. Turns out they weren't all that much different from us after all.

Posted by scott at 12:26 PM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2008
Fire.Hold(CampaignWonk.Feet);

Sic 'em girl! Sic 'em!

I do have to admit, Bill Burton and Megyn Kelly are very good at their jobs. Watch the jujitsu-like way he bypasses Kelly's questions and hammers home his talking points. Then watch Kelly simply not let him off the hook. Masterful performances, masterful!

And yes, I know it's Fox. No wonder most of you seem to hate them so much... I'd never seen such a clear example of a right-leaning press corps using standard MSM tactics so effectively. It's only fun when you get to spray the water hose, eh?

Keep remembering folks... it's not "95% get a cut", it's "95% get checks", and something like 40% of that 95% don't pay any freaking taxes anyway. What an awsome idea!

And hey, Ellen, I guess I owe you a pizza or something... as you predicted, they're already defining down what constitutes "rich". I wouldn't want to be a small business owner if Obama manages to take the prize, because I bet they'll move what they define as "big" business downward even faster.

Posted by scott at 10:46 AM eMail this entry!
October 28, 2008
Interesting and Endangered

Fans of weird wildlife may find this list of 20 "very strange" endangered species of interest. I personally didn't know the anglerfish was considered endangered.

Posted by scott at 01:02 PM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2008
Costume Time

While this home-made amateur Bumblebee Autobot costume is impressive, IMO it's not how it looks when it stands still, it's how it moves that determines just how sophisticated the build is. Then again, as I recall from watching Robocop out-takes, a lot of "selling" this as a massive robot has to do with the way the actor inside the thing is moving around.

Posted by scott at 01:09 PM eMail this entry!
Roll Your Own

Why buy a Lamborghini Countach when you can just build one yourself?

There are a lot of classic cars which could be built up this way producing a car that is essentially identical to the original. This isn't one of them, but hey, everyone's gotta have a hobby, no?

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2008
Your Dog Wants Bandages

Jeff gets a purple heart no-prize for bringing us news of the opening of a new military hospital for dogs wounded in war. The Walter Reed reference was worthy of a cringe, but otherwise this seems nifty enough. Here's to hoping it doesn't end up filled with $100 per shot rabies vaccines!

Posted by scott at 03:29 PM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2008
Their Timing is, as Always, Impeccable

Just in time for the market's collapse, Fiat has announced they're moving Alfa's introduction to the US up to 2010. It's encouraging to finally see the deadline move closer than further away. I just hope there's a market for the cars when they get here, because this thing sure does look nice.

Update: Alfa, Porsche, and Audi are being wooed by the IRL. Turbocharged inline 4s may not sound like much, but that's what F-1 ran in the 80s and 90s. Those were, as I recall, 1.5 liter 4 cylinder engines with output estimated to be 1200 horsepower in qualifying trim.

Posted by scott at 07:53 AM eMail this entry!
Paging the Steve Miller Band, White Courtesy Phone Please

I guess there are worse hobbies than teaching eagles to fly. Bonus: noble eagle birdy looks just like goofy green chicken parrot birdy when he climbs out of his travel cage.

Posted by scott at 07:36 AM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2008
Set Your Tivos to "Stun"

Sarah Palin has confirmed she will be putting in an appearance on this Saturday's Saturday Night Live. Risky, but if it works it could pay off big time. Here's our onside kick, let's hope we're able to recover it and keep the momentum going.

Posted by scott at 03:59 PM eMail this entry!
Sometimes I Impress Even Myself

C# Problem:

You have one generic list of type<T>. Each T in turn contains two generic lists of type<A> and type<B>. A and B implement interface I. A method exists which requires a generic list of type<I>. From the parent list of type<T>, how do you feed the method its required list of <I>?

(My) Solution:

List<I> il = new List<I>();
topList.Select(x => x.ListOfA).ToList().ForEach(x => x.ForEach(y=>il.Add((I)y)));
topList.Select(x => x.ListOfB).ToList().ForEach(x => x.ForEach(y=>il.Add((I)y)));
Result r = SomeMethod(il);

Bonus:

Is there a way to implement this by re-casting the objects in listofA and listofB to I without using a ForEach() call?

Can both lists be combined into one using a single line of code instead of two?

Is it necessary to instantiate il before proceeding?

The above code actually does work. It worked on the first try, even! And I am genuinely curious about the questions. S'my site, I'll talk about what I want! :)

Posted by scott at 03:06 PM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2008
Super Trick, Super Truck

Fans of monster trucks and all things military transport should find Navistar's latest and greatest of interest. The comments (one of which from our own regular DensityDuck) are also quite perceptive.

No, Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 01:27 PM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2008
OPOC: Not Just the Sound it Makes

The Army is testing a "heavy fuel" engine which could end up powering a variety of different vehicles. I'd never heard of "opposed piston, opposed cylinder" engines before, but the concept certainly sounds interesting. The new proposal makes it sort of sound like lego engines... you just keep stacking more in until you get the power output you want.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
October 12, 2008
Suspension Bridge: 1, Mother Nature: 0

Alternate title: sometimes you're the earthquake, sometimes you're the engineer. Boingy boingy boingy!

Posted by scott at 04:48 PM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2008
Do the Robot!

Making the rounds: a new kind of robot that assists the elderly and disabled getting around is now for rent in Japan. Bonus: the company's name is Cyberdyne. So if any elderly people are seen chasing after anyone named Conner, well, there you go.

Posted by scott at 08:26 AM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2008
But Does it Have Great Minty Freshness?

Double the engines, double the fun? Seems to me it would be "double the engines, double the weight and expense," but wtf do I know?

Posted by scott at 04:01 PM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2008
Fitness in the Tank

Builds fitness, enables reenactment. Just don't get no better than that!

Posted by scott at 07:14 AM eMail this entry!
October 03, 2008
Old Voices

Just in time for election, science news is carrying the closest thing we can get to 1908 debates. What I think is remarkable is that these men have obvious accents which I simply can't place, because they don't exist anymore.

Posted by scott at 05:27 PM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2008
GameInsure

Allstate is examining if playing computer games makes you a safer driver. The thinking goes that older people who play computer games are kept mentally sharper than those who don't. It's still an experiment, but if it pans out the insurance company plans on offering special discounts to folks who complete an approved course of games.

See, mom? I told you playing video games would pay off some day!

Posted by scott at 01:18 PM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2008
Who Knew!

Jesus pulled rabbits out of his hat!

*Really neat article.

Posted by Ellen at 06:10 PM eMail this entry!
September 30, 2008
Fun with FX

Hey, if desktop video editing can't be used to put Star Wars objects in the skies of San Francisco... well, what good is it anyway?

I especially liked the "Death Star on the horizon" shots. I wonder if Olivia's great-great-grandchildren will be able to look up in the sky and see something man-made on that scale?

Bonus: Parrots!

Posted by scott at 04:00 PM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2008
A Blast from the Past

Those of you curious as to just WTF kind of car it is we've bought should find this old Motorweek Illustrated segment of interest. Even if you don't, it's still a hoot to see the old 80s graphics, John Davis with hair, and note that MWI has been using the same test track for at least 20 years. Ours is black, but otherwise is identical to the car being tested.

And, while we can do this with ours, we won't.

Ellen.

Posted by scott at 11:49 AM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2008
WHOOSH!

Yves Rossy has become the first man to fly across the English Channel with a jetpack. I'm just as impressed that he engineered the thing to fold up enough to allow him to jump out an airplane, and then unfold and lock together in-flight. That is one neat piece of kit right there!

Posted by scott at 01:04 PM eMail this entry!
Pickin' it Apart

Mark gets a no-prize that breaks up into four pieces for bringing us this time lapse of a Boeing 720 being scrapped. It surprised me just how long it seemed to take them to get around to the engines. You'd think those would come off first of all.

Posted by scott at 09:55 AM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2008
Big Chute

Self-guiding para-sail with a 30,000 pound cargo capacity, anyone? If you drop it from a high enough altitude, it'll guide itself to a landing 15 miles away.

In other words, it would now seem possible for someone to deliver 15 tons of crap to your location in complete silence via a robot with a wingspan the size of a 747's. I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!!

Posted by scott at 03:21 PM eMail this entry!
I Bet Splinters Would be a B*tch

Ron gets a well-crafted no-prize for bringing us a most unique sort of engineering project. Building a super car out of wood? It's closer than you think!

Posted by scott at 01:06 PM eMail this entry!
Springy Seniors

Those wacky Japanese are at it again, this time offering personal airbags for the elderly. Meh, who am I to make fun? If they'd add a module that blew up around knees, I'd probably order three for a certain someone in my own life.

Posted by scott at 10:57 AM eMail this entry!
September 23, 2008
No See-um

Hunters in the audience may find this article about a new sort of deer camouflage of interest. The hunters I know are a bunch of guys who go out hunting with other guys, and it's the one who brings home the biggest buck who's considered the coolest, not the one who looks the best. I think this stuff'll do well if it works as advertised.

Posted by scott at 03:27 PM eMail this entry!
September 19, 2008
Cat Landing

A revolutionary new landing craft design is taking the world by storm. Anything that gets a soldier out of a vulnerable landing craft and onto a beach where they can shoot back is fine by me. Maneuverability is nice too!

Posted by scott at 02:12 PM eMail this entry!
September 18, 2008
Me gustibus. You gustibus. We missed the bus. They missed the bus.

An entire day's worth of broadcast in Latin? Ok. Includes a Latin rap tune? Well... maybe not so much.

Anybody know if they speak Latin much in Vatican City anymore?

Posted by scott at 03:17 PM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2008
3D Fun

NVIDIA is looking to change how you think about 3-D games. I suppose I'm one of the lucky people who've never been made motion sick by a shooter. Turning my monitor into a 3D window instead of a movie screen may just change that. It'll sure be fun to find out!

Posted by scott at 01:37 PM eMail this entry!
A Seat, for You-Know-Who

Jeff gets a no-prize with a hole in its roof just big enough to let God watch for bringing us news of yet another of Jerry Jones' clever marketing ploys. Ron'll probably pick up three sets.

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2008
Alfaster!

Those wacky Finns are at it again, this time cooking up an Alfa-based 4x4 extreme off road vehicle. With a US V6 no less!

Posted by scott at 04:23 PM eMail this entry!
Google the Seas

It would seem that, perhaps some day, everyone's network could be parked out on the ocean. Boy, that sure would make those remote "shutdown -h now" mistakes a pain to correct, eh?

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2008
A Speeder, for the Rest of Us

Actually, I'm surprised it's taken this long for someone to gin up their very own landspeeder. Even though the article says it's a 1:1 copy, it looks a little small to me. Maybe I just never looked that closely at the original.

Posted by scott at 01:23 PM eMail this entry!
September 11, 2008
Abandoned Brew

Fans of old buildings may find this pictorial exploration of an old abandoned brewery of interest. Remember folks, it costs money to tear something down, and nothing to leave it standing.

Then again, that building would seem to be chock-full of all sorts of useful bits, not to mention what I would suppose to be tons of Not Cheap copper. You'd think someone would've salvaged it by now.

Posted by scott at 11:03 AM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2008
Robo Hauler

I can barely imagine seeing one of those monstrous strip-mine dump trucks trundling around with a driver. It would seem that, pretty soon, they'll do it all by themselves. Those things are emphatically not cheap, so it remains to be seen how Caterpillar would warranty one to not drive itself off the edge of a pit. It would, however, make a for a really amusing video!

Posted by scott at 02:33 PM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2008
Polish Away

There's detailing a car, and then there's Detailing a Car. The closest I ever got to something like this was removing my car's bumpers to polish them. Heck I only ever did that once.

Posted by scott at 09:03 AM eMail this entry!
September 07, 2008
Downhill

Nothing else says "speed" in quite the same way as 40 mph+ runs downhill on a skateboard. Of course, nothing else would likely say "road rash" as crashing on a run like this, even though they didn't.

I wouldn't do it, but it sure was interesting to watch.

Posted by scott at 07:31 AM eMail this entry!
September 05, 2008
MiTo Fun

Reviews of the new MiTo continue to roll in. It's especially heartening to hear the automaker is deciding not to build Alfas in southern Italy any more. The marque's serious decline began with the government decision to use the automaker as a tool for social change instead of making cars. The result definitely confirmed the old saying, "If you want to send a message, use Western Union."

Posted by scott at 10:58 AM eMail this entry!
September 04, 2008
Dolphin Swim

Personal dolphin-shaped watercraft, anyone? Seems to me the jumping would be fun, but not the landing.

Posted by scott at 02:35 PM eMail this entry!
U-Print Buildings

Inkjet printer, meet the concrete jet printer. Does this mean that even illegal labor is now too expensive to build houses economically? Or, perhaps, construction demand is now so high worldwide there simply aren't enough skilled mason to go around?

Posted by scott at 09:45 AM eMail this entry!
September 03, 2008
Plush Guts!

Olivia would want to feed these to her plush dinosaur.

Olivia: "Daddy, what do t-rexes eat?"

Me: "I dunno, other dinosaurs I suppose."

Olivia: "No they don't! They eat guts!!!"

Me: "If you already knew the answer, what'd you ask me for?"

Olivia: "Silly daddy!"

Chicks...

Via I Speak of Dreams.

Posted by scott at 03:51 PM eMail this entry!
September 02, 2008
Superfast!

Coming soon to a hookup near you: hyper-speed internet access. Hollywood has been largely ignoring the Internet's piracy potential because, right now at least, it's problematic for users to download entire movies in a hi-def format. If this sort of speed ever becomes commercially available, that restriction will perforce be removed.

In other words, you only thought that whole RIAA vs. college kids thing was a giant fiasco. Hollywood's got a lot more money to throw around, and they're much less subtle about it.

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2008
Well, I Guess the Recoil Won't be Much of a Problem

Ron gets a no-prize that'll have to buy two plane tickets for bringing us a very large man firing a very tiny pistol. That'll be, "do you want fries with that, sir?" to you, bub.

Posted by scott at 07:17 PM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2008
Small World

I'm sure you'll all be shocked, shocked to know I occasionally cruise E-bay to see what Alfa spiders are going for at the moment. I'm not in the market for another one, but it's very helpful to know what the current market value is in case mine gets in an accident. Really!

At any rate, this morning I was browsing around and found this 71 spider.

alfa.agal4.JPG

It's a "nice" car, probably one of the very last around in this precise sort of condition. "Too nice to be a parts car, too rough to be cherry" cars start evaporating around the 20 year mark, typically ending up as parts, and occasionally ending up as cherry.

But what absolutely floored me was this:

alfa.v.JPG

The significance? Ours is 5022. It was the car just in front of ours on the assembly line, nearly forty years ago. And, after all this time, it not only has survived, "lives" in the same area as ours!

I tell ya, there have been some damned strange coincidences involving Alfas in my life lately. Hell this isn't even the first one.

Kismet I tell you. Fate, even.

Posted by scott at 08:32 AM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2008
~ Bit by Bit / Putting it Together ~

Hey, field stripping and reassembling an AR-15 in less than 60 seconds is a pretty nifty accomplishment for an 11 year-old girl. Well, I think it is anyway. Everyone's gotta have a hobby!

Posted by scott at 03:00 PM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2008
Toyz!!!

The new Nikon D-90 is out, and boy does it look sweet. At $1200 for the full kit, it's not anything we'll be picking up soon, but that "SLR video camera" thing sure does sound interesting. Maybe next year?

Posted by scott at 02:30 PM eMail this entry!
Great White

I guess if you dive in exotic locations long enough, you're bound to see something really unique. Like, say, an albino whale shark. I don't know how many factors had to come together all in the right place at the right time to get those pictures. I'm just glad they did.

Posted by scott at 10:04 AM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2008
The Race is On

Bah. You can have your medals for gymnastics, diving, track-and-field, whatever. I've found a contest we can all participate in. 76 wpm on a QWERTY keyboard. I'll take it. I bet the super high scores are on Dvorak keyboards or something like them.

Posted by scott at 11:55 AM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2008
A Party in the Trunk

First plug-in car fridges, now plug-in car microwaves. It's getting to the point people are going to be able to tailgate party in one of those goofy little micro cars. Not as much fun as a gun-shaped barbecue, but it beats the heck out of eating cold food.

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
Diver Down

Fans of those neat "as it happens" camera shots at the Beijing Olympic diving contest may be interested to know how they get those shots. Once I saw the big tube I pretty much figured it out, but it turns out it was both simpler in general and more complex in detail than I'd imagined.

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
August 18, 2008
A Car only a Frenchman Could Love

Mark gets a no-prize so ugly and slow you can't help but love it for letting us know France's iconic Citroen 2CV is turning 60 this year. Road and Track made endless fun of the car when I was in high school, and yet they still shed an editorial tear when the production line finally closed up.

Posted by scott at 10:36 AM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2008
My Boat? I Need My Boat.

The Navy's new soopa-ship is just about to be turned over to the service for trials. It was built by the well-known shipwrights at Lockheed Martin.

Yeah, I had to look at it twice too. This sort of partnership was mentioned briefly in the book Skunkworks, but the author said the Navy was so entrenched in "the Navy way" they were impossible to deal with. I guess anybody can get along if enough money is put on the table.

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
August 14, 2008
I Love the Smell of Hajji Burning in the Morning...

... smells like victory:

Boeing announced today the first ever test firing of a real-life ray gun that could become US special forces' way to carry out covert strikes with "plausible deniability."

Go for the news, stay for the description:

Precision engagement of a PID [Positively Identified] insurgent by a DEW [Directed Energy Weapon] will be a highly surgical and impressively violent event.

If it actually works as advertised, I imagine there will be more than a few of these mounted on a certain wall with a certain blue star painted on the side of it.

Posted by scott at 02:01 PM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2008
And the Baseball Goes, "Roll Roll Roll"

Sometimes the ball clears the wall, sometimes the wall grabs the ball. Proof positive that if you wait long enough, the weirdest plays can and will happen.

Posted by scott at 01:45 PM eMail this entry!
Power Shot

It seems Canon is bringing a fuel cell-based SLR to the market. If previous patterns are any indication, it won't be something mere mortals can afford, but after a few years? Who knows?

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
August 11, 2008
No-seeum

Annie gets a crystal-clear no-prize for bringing us news of further developments in "invisible cloaks". The example definitely doesn't make the subject disappear, but it's weird enough to certainly warrant further research.

Posted by scott at 01:11 PM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2008
Now That's an Instrument

Fans of big science should have some fun with this collection of pictures taken in and around the soon-to-be-activated Large Hadron Collider. I'm not sure science gets much bigger than the LHC.

Posted by scott at 08:05 AM eMail this entry!
August 05, 2008
Ambient Connectivity?

New Scientist: "'We look like prats, but at least we're all prats together". On the one hand, I can see having a cellphone that can locate a person to within a foot or so a real safety boon. On the other, well, can see having a cellphone that can locate a person to within a foot or so a real safety hazard. Like any tool, I suppose it's all in the implementation.

However, I can't help but think of several lurid murder cases in the past which had the doomed victim calling police from, say, a locked trunk asking for help. With one of these things, they'll get it, and fast.

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
August 04, 2008
Score. A Direct Hit.

That's definitely going to leave a mark. JASSM: helping Hajji meet his 72 virgins for 13 years.

Or, if you prefer old school, JASSM means never having to say you're sorry.

Posted by scott at 03:52 PM eMail this entry!
Chicken Soup for the (Alfisti) Soul

Being a member of a rather insular fan base, I've long known several extremely rare Alfa prototypes have ended up in private hands through the company's curious habit of selling them to random used car dealers across the US. It's part of the charm of the marque! What I didn't know was lot-find BAT-9 had an even more interesting story attached to it. Money quote: "Kaberle had no idea he owned a handmade masterpiece. He just loved the car. He drove it to work at the popcorn stand."

It just don't get no better than that.

Posted by scott at 02:35 PM eMail this entry!
7X

While I personally wouldn't go through it, reading about someone else's attempt to re-create "The Real Thing" was nevertheless a fun diversion. Me, I'm all about various adult-class beverages, but if home-brewing sounds interesting and a combination of health, religious, or other factors prevent the more common sort of brewing, I suppose one could do worse than re-creating Coca Cola for the f- of it. The article even includes the recipe!

Posted by scott at 11:36 AM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2008
Proto-to-go

A new company is offering 3-D printing services for affordable prices. At $50-$150 a shot, you too can have your very own, well, whatever the heck you want. Artist friend Damion will probably just sign over his paycheck once he finds out about it.

Posted by scott at 11:36 AM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2008
It's Got that Great, Fishy Tingle

Mark gets a no-prize he'll have to get out of the tank with a net for bringing us news of a very particular kind of pedicure. Having tiny fish nibbling away bits of dead skin is something that's been around forever, but this is the first time I've heard of it available here in good ol' N. VA.

Posted by scott at 08:07 AM eMail this entry!
July 18, 2008
Brother Metal

Mark gets a head-banging no-prize for introducing us to brother Cesare, who almost certainly is the only Capucin monk who fronts a heavy metal band. In Italian, no less. Really!

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2008
Mmm... Hopsickle...

It's beer. On a steek. And in good ol' Alexandria VA no less. Sign me up!

Posted by scott at 08:40 AM eMail this entry!
July 15, 2008
More Wii Fun

Seems that Nintendo is improving the Wii controller's 3D tracking. Hyper-accurate aiming is a must for any sort of action game (well, that I play anyway), and I did notice the Wii lacking this the few times I've played one. And to think a few years ago everyone was writing Nintendo off the console map...

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2008
(Whale) Turbines to Speed

Ron gets a no-prize that can star in its own Sea World show for bringing us news of the development of a new sort of wind turbine based on, of all things, a hump backed whale fin. By modeling the bumps which appear on that whale's fin, scientists found they could increase the efficiency, reduce the noise, and increase the power of a wind turbine without risking potentially destructive stall-induced vibration. Ain't nature grand?

Posted by scott at 12:45 PM eMail this entry!
Fun with the Pope

Catholics and other pope-watchers should find this brief list of "Papal trivia" of interest. I'm not sure what I'd make of it if I saw Benedict with those iPod buds in his ears. Who knew?

Posted by scott at 08:22 AM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2008
Behold the Power of the Market

Where untold government regulations have failed, incentive succeeds:

Skyrocketing costs of scrap metal have created a silver — or should we say steel — lining to economic and environmental woes. Collecting scrap not only brings in extra money, but also encourages citizens to clean up unsightly refuse.

Stick that in your "stupid plebes will always be polluting monsters so we have to get the government to force them to clean up after themselves" pipe and smoke it!

I've never been a fan of recycling because, if it really did cost less to recycle something, someone would pay me to recycle. It doesn't, so nobody does.

Posted by scott at 12:52 PM eMail this entry!
July 07, 2008
Snap, Crackle, & Pop

Joshua gets an explosive no-prize for bringing us a look at what 3.2 million fireworks going off looks like. I don't want to know how long it took to fuze all that together.

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2008
Watch that First Step
Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2008
Old Friends, Long Gone

I found the one with the abandoned waterslide especially poignant, I guess because Olivia and I spent many fun hours at various (indoor!) water parks around here last winter, and seeing one abandoned made me realize I won't always be able to do that.

Via Violins and Starships.

Posted by scott at 12:42 PM eMail this entry!
July 01, 2008
That's Mister Hole-in-the-Back-Yard to You, Bub

All I ever found was a couple of rocks and some bits of cast iron. This guy went digging around in his back yard and found an entire abandoned Nazi bunker. I haven't gone through the whole site yet, but it looks as if the man may very well have stumbled on a right nice treasure in his own yard.

Posted by scott at 10:35 AM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2008
I Shall Call it, "GoogleQuake"

In a kind of reverse geocache, scientists have come up with a way to quickly locate an earthquake by tracking the locations of IP addresses on a major earthquake watch site. It even seems to provide at least some information on areas that got hit so bad they don't have electricity or internet access.

Who would've thought that would be possible back in 1996?

Posted by scott at 01:14 PM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2008
Fact Finds

It's taken a helluva long time to complete, but it seems a massive archive of WWII Nazi documents is finally being mined for information. From the article:

The gray metal shelves and cabinets contain 16 miles (25 kilometers) of transport lists, camp registries, medical records, forced labor files and death certificates of some 17.5 million people subjected to Nazi persecutions.

It'll take lifetimes to pry out everything the archive can give, but it definitely seems like a project worth doing.

Posted by scott at 03:19 PM eMail this entry!
No-Seeum Paint

A Greek company has come out with a paint-on product that substantially reduces the IR signature of anything underneath. If the company's claims are to be believed, they've got another product that'll do the same for radar cross-sections. I wonder if it'd be any good at defeating laser speed guns?

Posted by scott at 11:56 AM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2008
Insert TLC Reference Here

I thought the pictures I glanced at today that had a waterfall pouring from the Brooklyn Bridge were photoshopped. I'm sure you will all be surprised that I was wrong. It happens so infrequently!

Posted by scott at 01:49 PM eMail this entry!
Come on Bugs!

Bacteria-diesel seems to be on its way to becoming the darling of the science press. Now people are openly discussing introduction dates (2010 and 2011 seem to be the favorites). Here's to hoping the product lives up to the hype.

Posted by scott at 10:27 AM eMail this entry!
June 25, 2008
Posterize Me!

Abstracting the federal budget into a poster definitely sounds like a neat idea to me, I just wish they made their example a bit larger. Then again, considering they're out to sell the things, maybe it's for the best. A poster you can stare at for hours, that gets refreshed once a year. Not too shabby!

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2008
Fun with Species

Annie gets a no-prize Ellen can't have for bringing us this top 10 list of new species discovered this year. Fans of Terry Pratchett's The Last Continent will be little surprised to find out most of the new Australian species found are viciously venomous.

Posted by scott at 03:37 PM eMail this entry!
June 22, 2008
The Most Important Meal of the Day

It's not (necessarily) the cereals in this retrospective of kid's cereals that's fun for me. It's the toys. I swear, I remember just about every single one. Even (especially!) the Nautilus. You had to put weird pills in it to make it work!

Posted by scott at 12:10 PM eMail this entry!
June 20, 2008
Chew on This!!!

155mm Howitzers. Deadly, and cool. Seems to me the trick is not pulling the trigger, the trick is keeping the camera shake down. But WTF do I know?

Posted by scott at 06:11 PM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2008
Gimmeh!!!

Ron gets a beautiful yet obscure no-prize for bringing us news that what is widely considered one of the most beautiful sports cars from the 1950s is available again in sophisticated kit form.

Which, of course, you've never heard of. Because you're a philistine with totally screwed up priorities.

Posted by scott at 07:51 PM eMail this entry!
June 12, 2008
If It Could Cook, I'd Marry It

Damion gets a no-prize he can captain a starship with for bringing us the absolutely ultimate in gaming workstation setups. I particularly like the clamshell adjustment. Hey, you think if I stuck a cat sticker somewhere on it???

Posted by scott at 06:51 PM eMail this entry!
ELSE OR THIS

Ron gets the coveted Mountain Goat No-Prize for bringing us news of the ELSORV, the army's for real off road vehicle. Considering the Humvee's reputation for best-of-class off roading, I can only think this thing must be able to climb trees or something. Just how nasty are those freaking Afghan mountains?!?

Posted by scott at 06:49 PM eMail this entry!
June 11, 2008
A Flex Car, for the Rest of Us

Leave it to BMW to come up with a car who's body hearkens back to the days of SPADS, Camels, and Triplanes. Will we ever see anything even remotely like this on a production car? Oh hell who knows? I just like the whole concept of a morphing car!

Posted by scott at 08:51 AM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2008
IMA GIT U!!!

Anti-submarine aircraft get away with being fat, slow, and clumsy because their prey can't shoot back. Leave it to the Germans to come up with what would appear to be the first workable solution to that problem. Having a missile pop out of the water and head straight for you while you're in a hover 50 feet off the water holding up 1000 feet of cable and a dipped sonar would seem a pretty good way to increase the ol' pucker factor, donchaknow?

Posted by scott at 10:00 AM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2008
More Alfa Updates

Looks like Alfa's Mini-killer, the MiTo (mee-too), will be heading our way for 2010. The rumored price target seems to be in the mid-20s, which, if true, makes it a darned tempting idea for me. The Cruiser's getting a little long in the tooth as a daily commuter, and since Ellen's been looking at Minis for awhile, well, maybe this will be a much nicer storm than we had yesterday, sort of thing. :)

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
A Different Sort of Birthday

This month marks the Intel x86 architecture's 30th birthday. What started out in 1978 with the 8086 has, with time, money, and innovation, ended up the de-facto standard for desktop computing. Considering the radically different environment at the time, it's remarkable the instruction set has survived. The article goes into at least some of the reasons why.

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
That's One Way to do it

Problem: In public-transit-friendly Germany, seniors affected with Alzheimer's can end up half way across the country before anyone knows they're gone.

Solution: Decoys.

This probably wouldn't work well in the US, because our public transit systems aren't as strong or extensive. But it is a thought.

Posted by scott at 08:51 AM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2008
Getting a "Pisa" Stability

Mark gets a no-prize Renaissance Italian scientists will want to use to drop various objects from for bringing us news that the leaning tower of Pisa has been stabilized. For now, at any rate, and for the next 300 years, according to the engineers in charge.

Which is all well and good, but to me the lesser-known leaning towers of Bologna are much more interesting. Statics: there's a reason why it's a required course for engineers, ya know?

Posted by scott at 12:55 PM eMail this entry!
Taking that "Every Man's Home" Thing to its Logical Conclusion

What with the Northeast's reputation for meddlesome property activism, I'm rather surprised this guy's neighbors didn't object more strenuously to his building a castle on his property. Here in good ol' Northern VA, our anti-development professionals would by now have tied him down with six or seven lawsuits, complete with dramatic "granny showing up with a noose around her neck and her mouth taped shut" appearances at zoning board meetings.

Well, actually, probably not. Like most rich American communities, it's not ostentatious construction by a like-minded (and usually, but not always) like-raced fellow gentry owner that is treated so dramatically here in NVA. Rather, it's the housing for all the brown people who service said demesnes which undergo draconian scrutiny. We Must Not Have the Wrong People Moving Next Door to Our Mansion, that sort of thing.

Posted by scott at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
May 28, 2008
We come from the land of the ice and snow...

Using freshly sampled material from ten Viking skeletons from around AD 1,000, from a non-Christian burial site on the Danish island of Funen, Dissing and colleagues showed that it is indeed possible to retrieve authentic DNA from ancient humans

How soft your fields / so green can whisper tales of gore / of how we calmed the tides of war / We are your overlords...

Posted by Ellen at 09:43 PM eMail this entry!
Wii Fit Fun

Consumer Reports has posted their first impressions of 'Wii fit'. In a nutshell: entry level fitness. Definitely better than nothing, but not particularly challenging if you're already reasonably athletic. They've even got video!

Posted by scott at 02:17 PM eMail this entry!
Tomb Time

Annie gets an ancient no-prize for bringing us news that the Vatican has opened the largest pagan tomb found under St. Peter's for public tours. Recently restored, the second-century mausoleum is considered one of the best-preserved examples of stucco sculpture to survive antiquity.

Posted by scott at 09:08 AM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2008
I Guess Parking Would Be Simple

Wearable motorcycle, anyone? And I thought the regular ones were deathtraps...

Posted by scott at 03:57 PM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2008
We're #1!

Finally, a contest worth winning:

Ask most people where the best beer in the world comes from, and they'll probably say Germany or England. More worldly folks might mention Belgium.

But ask a beer aficionado these days, and odds are you'll get an answer that might surprise you – the good old U.S.A.

Woot!

Posted by scott at 01:57 PM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2008
Alfa Update

While this business report on Alfa's re-entry into the North American market is understandably biased toward Canada, a bit of reading-between-the-lines seems to indicate there's a very good likelihood of an Alfa plant being built in the US. I wonder if they'll need a .net software engineer with a 20 year history of involvement with their marque?

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
Toys!

The folks over at Ares have dug up some reports on new widgets from DARPA being deployed in the field. I think the radar that lets people look through walls sounds the neatest. Robocop lives!

Posted by scott at 11:57 AM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2008
Fling!!!

Another day, another English eccentric with a trebuchet. Joshua gets a no-prize he'll have to go way long to catch for bringing us UK goofiness at its best.

I'm just about certain I've seen this guy around, I just can't quite place where.

Posted by scott at 02:50 PM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2008
May 07, 2008
Tongue Map

While I'm sure armchair historians will have a bit of fun with this colorful language map of Europe, I think it may emphasize the differences a bit too much. From my readings, the map shouldn't be this jigsaw puzzle of different colors. Instead, it should be more like a series of colored gels, overlapping each other around the edges in diffuse but notable bands.

Posted by scott at 01:45 PM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2008
Kaboom!

Robert H. gets a really noisy no-prize for bringing us this video of the demolition of NASA's Launch Complex 40. It does sorta seem to fall over like a monstrous slinky, eh?

Posted by scott at 02:53 PM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2008
Chew on This

Were it me taking a voyage anywhere near the pirate-infested waters near Somalia, this would be a damned comforting thing to see. Just bring the bass boat a little closer, Hajji, I only want to spend one shell on you today.

Posted by scott at 01:22 PM eMail this entry!
When God Attacks

Look, it definitely seems to me it would suck ass to have a volcano go off in your general vicinity. But man oh man, does it make for one hullva picture. Wait for the download, (I think) it's worth it.

Posted by scott at 08:04 AM eMail this entry!
May 03, 2008
A "Blu" 360

Owners of Xbox 360s should be happy to hear Microsoft has finally come clean about supporting the victor of the hi-def wars. It definitely was just a matter of time, but it's nice to find out just what that time is.

Posted by scott at 08:21 PM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2008
But will it Fetch Me a Beer?

Jeff gets a no-prize with a lightsaber hidden in it for bringing us yet another example of George Lucas's marketing brilliance. There's even a video!

The only problem I'd have is Olivia would adopt it and take it to school.

Posted by scott at 10:18 AM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2008
The Ultimate Green Economy

While essentially unfinished, this video segment does provide more detail on that algae process that produces biofuel. It still sounds extremely promising. If they can somehow hook up with that guy building those biofuel stills, it'll blow the lid off the whole system.

Something like this is inevitable as long as gas prices stay high in the US. As a nation, we're legendary for simply not tolerating it, and unlike the last time around the technology, incentives, and most importantly the free capital are available for someone... hell anyone... to come up with an alternative. So I'll make a prediction: barring any truly cataclysmic event*, $1 pump fuel by 2013 is not just possible, it's inevitable. Let's meet back here in five years and if I'm wrong, I'm buying.

Via Instapundit.

----
* Aliens landing, some hajji nutball finally lighting a nuke off in downtown DC, Jesus himself walking across the Hudson, dogs and cats sleeping together, that sort of thing.

Posted by scott at 03:36 PM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2008
Darth Vader on the Seas

The Navy's first radically new ship design in more than fifty years has finally reached the water. Let's hope the shake-down and development go more smoothly than the development and construction.

Posted by scott at 10:26 AM eMail this entry!
April 29, 2008
Chain Letter

Journalism, being the penultimate "too much time on your hands" career, can sometimes generate the darnedest things. Like finding out what happens if a (pseudo) ten year-old boy sends notes to a variety of celebrities, both nefarious and otherwise. Surprisingly, I can provide some verification for the authenticity of the Clarence Thomas letter. There's a guy in our office who has a letter from Mr. Thomas on his wall, and it's composed in exactly the same way.

Posted by scott at 12:45 PM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2008
Think Fast, Click Fast

Turns out that I, too, am a Rocketing Rabbit. Well, I was once. When I'm sober, at least.

Reminds me a lot of that old WKRP in Cincinnati episode. Hmm? Oh get off my lawn... you either remember it, or you're too young to remember it.

Via Siflay.

Posted by scott at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
When Modders Attack

Friend Damion sent us this board link to his new PC case-mod project. It's not quite done, but far enough along to see how it'll turn out: lots of detail, industrial-grade parts, and enough rivets, nuts, and bolts to screw together another Titanic. Way neat!

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
April 25, 2008
Bang Bang

Looks like the army is getting ready to field some nifty toys:

The NLOS-M, which is technologically about three years behind the NLOS-C, is equally high-tech. It fires the same 120 mm projectiles as other large-caliber mortar launchers, but it does so with a fully automated, breech-loading system. Traditionally, guys had to stand up in an open vehicle, hold a 36-lb munition up until the “Fire” order was given, drop the munition and then get the hell out of the way. Obviously lots of opportunity for injury. In the case of the NLOS-M, mounted on the same chassis as the NLOS-C, soldiers sit protected in the vehicle and auto-launch the mortars using an advanced software system and touch-screen computers. The mortar is also an MRSI (multi-round, simultaneous-impact) system, with the capability to launch 16 rounds in the first minute and 8 rounds per minute thereafter. The first prototype of the NLOS-M will roll out in 2011 and be fielded in 2014.

MRSI is seriously cool. The computer calculates a bunch of different trajectories and then fires a sequence of shells. Each one follows a different ballistic track to ensure all the rounds land at the exact same time. Think of a shotgun, but with mortar shells instead of pellets.

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
April 24, 2008
A Stay on the 'Big Stick'

P. J. O'Rourke got to spend 24 hours on U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt recently, which earned him a cover on the latest issue of Weekly Standard. He's come a long way from writing about the Mexican badlands for Car and Driver, eh?

Posted by scott at 10:34 AM eMail this entry!
April 23, 2008
Green Gas

Another team of researchers has announced another technique for producing biofuel from cellulose. This bunch is also promising $1/gallon production, if they can get the efficiency up. With the price of fuel so high, one would think they wouldn't need to boost efficiency too much for the process to be profitable.

This is, what, the second or third announcement of this sort we've seen in the past year? It may be a tough target, but if enough guns are shooting it's bound to get hit eventually. Anything that gets us closer to putting Achmed and his merry band of jihadists closer to a bread line is fine by me.

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2008
Trunk Painting

Pat gets a no-prize she can stick to her refrigerator door for bringing us this remarkable video of an elephant painting a portrait. According to Snopes, it's not quite as miraculous as it would at first seem. But then again, isn't everything?

Posted by scott at 10:09 AM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2008
MiTo, Me Too!

Now this is an Alfa I could afford. If they'd only bring the dratted thing over, that is. Definitely nicer looking than a Mini!

Posted by scott at 10:01 AM eMail this entry!
April 17, 2008
Robosoldier

It would appear military grade powered armor is much closer than ever before to becoming a reality. As noted in the article, the biggest problem is (and as far as I know always has been) a power supply with enough juice to make the device useful without weighing more than it can carry.

Posted by scott at 11:35 AM eMail this entry!
April 16, 2008
Roman Walks

Scientists have created an innovative "omni-directional treadmill" which promises to allow people to actually walk the streets of ancient Pompeii. Ancient Pompeii as it existed before Vesuvius buried it like a cat in its box, that is. Coming to an amusement park near you!

Posted by scott at 10:23 AM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2008
Alfa on the Move

Alfa appears to be on-course for a limited debut in the US market this summer. This article states Fiat is looking to build a factory "in North America." Previously the place mentioned most often was Mexico, so if true it would appear that a) the weak dollar is again working in our favor and b) Americans may end up "stealing jobs" from Mexicans. Everyone wins!

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2008
Roll Your Own

Half-scale Tiger tank replica, anyone? Now that's a paint ball tank if I ever did see one. Coming to a WWII reenactor near you!

Posted by scott at 07:33 AM eMail this entry!
April 03, 2008
Mai Cave. Let Me Show You It

Mai Cave.

Well, ok, not actually mai ahem... mine. Mine is a lot smaller and sparser, filled mostly with an old Italian sports car. But it is mine! :)

Annie gets a no-prize that'll double as a machine shop for bringing us these fine examples of manly fortresses.

Posted by scott at 12:58 PM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2008
What He Said

Bigwig: “A naturalist is someone who is interested in and knows a lot about the natural world. An environmentalist is someone who hates people.”

I know lots of naturalists. By what I've seen and read, I'm not particularly interested in meeting environmentalists.

Posted by scott at 03:40 PM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2008
A Remote Even My Mom Could Use?

I dunno though... a remote that looks like an anime turtle and actually asks to learn tasks might just bring me closer to my inheritance if I were to give one to my mom. Olivia'd just want to take it upstairs and play with it in her room. Meh. Give me a giant black monolith with a zillion buttons, all the same size shape and color. Real men don't need assistance!

At least until their mothers need to watch TV while baby sitting.

Go Toshiba!

Via Violins and Starships.

Posted by scott at 03:27 PM eMail this entry!
Candid [Critter] Camera

I wonder if they had to pay them scale? Strapping cameras to elephants for safe, up-close candid shots is all well and good, but did they really tie that big thing to the poor beast's tusk? Those must be some pretty laid-back pachyderms!

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2008
Tales of Futures Pasts

Those who originally read this forty year-old account of what life would be like in 2008 would get a mixed bag from the reality. Big TVs, remote shopping, and a near-cashless economy are definitely found, but where's my 250 mph car? It always seems the coolest predictions are the ones least likely to come true.

Posted by scott at 11:31 AM eMail this entry!
March 21, 2008
Tornado Down

Hey, Mr. Super-storm! Smile! You're on candid camera!

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
March 20, 2008
Brilliant, Wormy Apples

Fans of all things Apple Computer may find this in-depth article about how the company ticks today of interest. It would appear from the article not much has changed since I first read in the early 90s about how no-one at the Cupertino offices had the guts to get on an elevator alone with with Steve Jobs. It will be quite interesting to see what happens to the company when they finally carry him out the door, feet first of course.

Posted by scott at 05:54 PM eMail this entry!
Seeing Eye Horse

No, really: a seeing eye horse. As in "don't cross the street woman or you'll get pasted. Ok go" seeing-eye assistance.

No, Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 08:01 AM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2008
Tivo Time

Tivo has released a new version of its desktop software. There's a whole lot of extra content Tivo provides that we don't use, mostly because it's agonizingly slow to load. "Spreading it out" to the PC may help solve the problem. Besides, loading content back and forth sounds like it might be handy.

Posted by scott at 12:32 PM eMail this entry!
March 17, 2008
Door Light

The things single guys do with their spare time, I tell ya. Why Damion doesn't have one of these on his door I'll never know.

Posted by scott at 01:00 PM eMail this entry!
Another Wreck Find

The remains of HMAS Sydney, a light cruiser who's loss in WWII represents the largest single loss-of-life incident in the history of the Australian navy, have been found. Sited more than a mile deep, it's not expected to become a target for scavengers, but the Australian government is already taking steps to protect the site. Pictures via remote vehicle are expected as early as Wednesday.

Posted by scott at 11:50 AM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2008
Battle Update

It would appear there's a little bit of good, and a little bit of bad, news about the upcoming Battlebots show. The good? No more wedge fights, and more destruction. The bad? We don't get to see it until maybe November.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
March 14, 2008
Wreck Find

A long-lost British destroyer was recently found during exercises in Norway. HMS Hunter was sunk by the Germans during the first Battle of Narvik in 1940.

Posted by scott at 01:25 PM eMail this entry!
Testify!

Everyone's favorite straight-talking Brit is at it again, ranting oh-so-deliciously about Europe's infatuation with appeasing those who would destroy them. Even better were the comments from the "so-left-they-can't-even-turn-right-on-a-street" message board I picked it up from. The easiest way of judging the effectiveness of someone from the right is how shrill the left gets trying to counter them. This guy's got them shrieking like turkeys getting tossed in a wood chipper.

Posted by scott at 08:23 AM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2008
Talk Talk

A nerve-tapping neck band has been developed which promises the ability to have seemingly telepathic chats. The main focus right now seems to be on voice-free cell phone calls, but there must be many more applications.

Posted by scott at 11:35 AM eMail this entry!
March 12, 2008
Roll 'em Out

General Electric has demonstrated the world's first "roll-to-roll" OLED display manufacturing system. OLED is the technology which promises things like computer displays you can roll up and put in a tube.

Posted by scott at 01:33 PM eMail this entry!
March 11, 2008
Battlebots Redux

Everyone's favorite robotic destructo-fest is coming back to TV. I spent many a late night watching these things go at each other after Ellen had rolled her eyes and gone to bed. It'll be interesting to see if Olivia thinks they're neat.

Posted by scott at 12:47 PM eMail this entry!
You Have 30 Seconds to Comply

Mike J. gets a no-prize that'll help him search for Sarah Conner for bringing us the latest tech Israel is using to facilitate Hajji meeting up with his 72 virgins.

Posted by scott at 10:24 AM eMail this entry!
March 10, 2008
Umbrellas... innn... Spaaace!

No, really, umbrellas in space:

The demand for high-speed, non-line-of-sight mobile communications - with the military tagging along behind the commercial market - has led to the "outing" of a fascinating set of technologies that were long confined to the world of black programs.
...
The challenge is to furl [a signal] antenna into the tight confines of a launch vehicle's payload fairing and have it open, with 100 per cent reliability, into exactly the right shape, and the video shows how it is done. These are large antennas - as the video notes, the most complex hoop-type structures are needed only when the antenna is more than 18 m (60 feet) in diameter. Harris' facilities can handle 30 m (100 foot) antennas.

I think it's always fun to hear about stuff nobody was ever supposed to hear about, even if it's decades after the fact.

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2008
Insert Simon and Garfunkel Reference Here

Even though a lot of it is puerile, I still couldn't stop scrolling through picturesofwalls.com. At its best, there's definitely a zen-like quality of surprised contemplation. The street-level walls of Pompeii are covered with stuff just exactly like this, proving we really haven't changed all that damned much.

For whatever reason, I especially liked this one. And the jazz one. But you probably already knew that.

Posted by scott at 06:29 PM eMail this entry!
Night Light

I still think like most things, the Earth looks prettiest at night. Be sure to scroll down and examine the captions to understand what all the different colors mean. And check out the two Koreas for an example of what an exclusive focus on "social justice" actually ends up achieving.

Posted by scott at 06:13 PM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2008
Fun with Physics

While perhaps not the coolest science toy ever, Phun certainly looks like an interesting sort of art/3D physics program. I'm pretty sure I'm not smart enough to play with it, though.

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2008
Cave Creations

Sometimes "Top n" lists are lame, but not always, especially when they detail some of the most spectacular ancient cave art ever found. From reading books and seeing some documentaries, the ancient artists utilized the shapes of the cavern walls themselves to enhance their creations, giving them an even greater "presence" than you get from seeing them in pictures.

Not to mention the fact that, when they were composed, the artist was painting in near complete darkness, and likely couldn't see the entire composition at one time.

Posted by scott at 01:43 PM eMail this entry!
March 03, 2008
Wide View

Another year, another TED conference with insanely cool technologies on view. This year, an early notice comes from slashdot about Microsoft's upcoming "world wide telescope", an internet-connected system which promises views of the universe which utilize all the latest and best telescope pictures available. Go for the cool video, stay (for a moment) to browse the "MICROSOFT BAD!!! OPEN SOURCE GOOD!!! BILL GATES DIF!!!" ranting in the comments. Sometimes folks (and corporations) just can't get a break.

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2008
Paging Mark T., White Courtesy Phone Please

For Sale: the ultimate in war souvenirs. Yours for only 100k euros. Whattabahgain!

Posted by scott at 06:05 PM eMail this entry!
An Accessory, for the Rest of Us

Fits in purse, blows bad guys away. What's not to love? There's self defense, and then there's self defense.

Of course, in most places the second a cop found one of these on you it'd be a short trip to a jail cell and a damned long series of court cases to get it back. Yeah, it's wrong, but them's the breaks.

Mark gets a no prize that, if a cop asks him about it, he must reply "yes sir I do sir and I'm keeping my hands on this steering wheel until you tell me what to do" for bringing us the ultimate in fashionable self-defense.

Posted by scott at 06:01 PM eMail this entry!
February 29, 2008
Paging Oscar Goldman, White Courtesy Phone Please

Amber gets a six-million dollar no-prize for bringing us the story of the bionic turtle. The potential for cheesy 70s TV in-jokes alone is worth the price of admission.

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2008
Build-a-Box

Classic video game fans with a do-it-yourself bent should find Project MAME of interest. Back when the ROMs were a little easier to come by, I spent several weeks going through various classic video games with a joy known only to those who've had to cut a day short because of a lack of quarters. Having it all in a cabinet would be just that much better.

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
February 26, 2008
Dressed for Conquest

It appears that Viking women dressed rather differently before they converted to Christianity:

"It's easy to imagine that the Christian church had certain reservations about clothing that accentuated the breasts in this way and, what's more, exposed the under shift in front," Larsson said. "It's also possible that this clothing was associated with pre-Christian rituals and was therefore forbidden" once Christianity became established.

Of course, considering the climate, it may also be likely they gave it up because Sweden is frikkin cold! But that's just me.

Posted by scott at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
Tech March

What a difference 20 years of technology makes! People want to be prosperous via wealth. What markets provide is prosperity through discounts. It's taken almost all of history for people who understand the truth of the latter to beat into submission the former. The fact that people still praise Castro and take Democrats seriously shows how much still is to be done.

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
February 25, 2008
Da Rulez

To avoid bar fouls, know the rules!

Mark gets a no-prize that will wobble into walls and apologize to potted plants for bringing us this oh-so-important list.

Posted by scott at 10:37 AM eMail this entry!
February 22, 2008
Drop Top

Alfa Romeo has unveiled the convertible version of its 8C supercar. I still can't have one, but they are awfully pretty to look at!

Posted by scott at 02:06 PM eMail this entry!
February 21, 2008
Bug = new Spysat(); Bug.Status = Broke; Windshield(Bug);

Lots of folks have sent us video of the recent satellite shoot-down, so no-prizes to all! Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug.

Posted by scott at 01:28 PM eMail this entry!
Rip Van Blu-Ray

Those who took the HD-DVD plunge may be interested to find out it's possible to convert an HD-DVD disk to Blu-Ray. Possible, but not simple and definitely not particularly cheep at the moment. Hopefully by the time this sort of thing becomes a real issue for people the prices of all the devices will have dropped.

Posted by scott at 10:46 AM eMail this entry!
Amber Find

The famous "Amber Room" from the Czar's palace in St. Petersburg may have been found. Then again, from the article it could be just as likely that a press release was found on a slow news day, and not much else. We'll see...

Posted by scott at 09:00 AM eMail this entry!
February 18, 2008
Photo Fun

Every once in awhile, every photographer gets lucky. Some I'd seen before, most I hadn't.

Posted by scott at 09:08 AM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2008
Beats the Hell out of a Trailer

Ron gets an enormous, obsolete no-prize for bringing us yet another guy trying to make money off an abandoned missile silo. If that doesn't count as beating swords into plowshares, I'm not sure what does.

Posted by scott at 01:23 PM eMail this entry!
He did What?!?

Damion gets a no-prize that simply shouldn't exist for bringing us the Civette, a Honda Civic-Chevy Corvette hybrid.

No, really!

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2008
Fun with Microwaves

A microwave can melt a hole in a beer bottle. Who knew? And give that guy a blue ribbon for "nastiest microwave insides" while you're at it. Microwaving beer bottles is probably all I'd do with that one!

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
February 13, 2008
Tiny Muscles

2' 9" bodybuilder, anybody? Hey, gotta earn a living somehow!

Posted by scott at 08:54 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2008
Dance Dance Robot

I, for one, welcome our new short disco-dancing overlords. I can remember when it was really amazing that Honda had created a walking robot. It was huge and moved very slowly. Now we've got dancing kiddie-sized robots. And yet I still have to badger my kid into getting me a beer. I think it's well past time to commercialize these products!

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2008
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Please choose regular or super. You have fifteen seconds to comply. Yet another automotive innovation the ol' Spider will happily ignore.

Posted by scott at 09:16 AM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2008
New Book Alert!

Thomas Sowell's got a new one out! Those of you who want a clear, concise, and interesting summary of how economics really works should definitely consider it. Those who want to know where the F--- I get all these idiotic, wrong-headed ideas should most likely stay away. Disillusionment is, after all, something I try to avoid with people who mistake watching TV news for actual learning.

No, not you, the other one.

Posted by scott at 05:12 PM eMail this entry!
Theater Concept

There, but for the grace of God and six million free bucks, go I:

While the KSS is technically an 8.8-channel audio system, it uses a lot more than eight speakers and eight subwoofers. Kipnis felt that a lone center speaker sounded a tad undernourished compared with the eight Snell THX Cinema & Music Reference towers, so he opted for three Snell LCR-2800 center-channel speakers. The original contingent of eight subs sounded "really good" but, unfortunately, didn't deliver the full earth-moving-under-your-feet effect he wanted. So, he wound up with 16 18-inch Snell subs! To balance the other frequency extreme, and for the ultimate in transient speed and transparency, the Snell speakers' treble has been augmented with MuRata ES103A super tweeters.

Meh. Gives me a goal on which to spend my child's inheritance.

Posted by scott at 01:52 PM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2008
A Different Sort of Colonoscopy

An intrepid group of Chinese has set up a telescope on a high plateau in Antarctica. Advantages: unparalleled atmospheric stability, absolute darkness with no conceivable threat of urban light polution. Disadvantages: Dude, it's Antarctica! They had to shlep it all across the world's most inhospitable desert on sleds.

So raise a glass, and here's to hoping that damned frozen bit of optics discovers something amazing.

Posted by scott at 08:07 PM eMail this entry!
February 05, 2008
Big Prop

With blade lengths over 400 feet, I do not doubt the E-126 wind turbine is the largest in the world. I wonder how tall the tower itself is? I couldn't spot a citation.

Now if we can just convince ol' Teddy it won't ruin his fishing off the Vineyard...

Posted by scott at 04:15 PM eMail this entry!
February 04, 2008
Hi-Res Apollo

NASA is working with the Discovery Channel to produce a miniseries. The hook? This time the footage will be in HD, which as far as I know is the first time said footage will be generally available in this format.

Posted by scott at 12:21 PM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2008
POW!!!

Well, they may never take the place of powder, but damn, railguns sure do look good when they're fired. Like Glenn, I got nothing on what seems to be some sort of plasma trail behind the round. Maybe at those speeds it just burns the air?

Via Instapundit.

Update: AvWeek watched it live.

Posted by scott at 03:32 PM eMail this entry!
Making Of

Mike P. gets a digitized no-prize for bringing us this look at how digital movie wizards make their magic. It would seem that what once took weeks to shoot, involved dozens or even hundreds of extras, and cost millions of dollars can now be done by four guys in costumes in a day or two.

Oh, and do be sure to mute the sound. Nobody needs that much techno in the morning.

Posted by scott at 07:49 AM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2008
A Living Room, for... rrr... Someone

Ron gets a no-prize everyone will want for their next football party for bringing us this timely look at just how far NFL obsessions can go. Tastefulness: NOT YOURS.

Posted by scott at 03:43 PM eMail this entry!
Gotta Get It

Pioneer debuted two new technologies at this year's CES: an "infinite contrast" display, and an ultralight/ultrathin display. The former displays images with no idle luminance*, while the latter is, well, this.

At 9mm thick and 41 lbs, the second one sure does seem sexy. At this time no price or date for a production product, which usually means "expensive." Still, barring exceptional circumstances, we'll be in the market for a "ya, srsly" new TV around Christmas time. Maybe by then we'll know if one of these could be in our future?

----
* Imagine a TV image of a flower on a black table. Turn the lights off. On this display, all you'll then see is the flower.

Posted by scott at 12:48 PM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2008
Hi-Perf Hybrid

Looks like F-1 is going to jump into hybrids in a big way. Considering the open way they're handling it, it may change F-1 from the esoteric exotica it's been lately to something it was in the past: a place to test high-performance equipment which could one day actually end up in a passenger car.

And what's not to love about a 450 hp 50 mpg Alfa Spider?

Posted by scott at 09:05 AM eMail this entry!
January 29, 2008
Riding the Rails

The world's most powerful rail gun has been delivered to the US Navy. At 32 megajoules, it's fully half as powerful as what the Navy thinks would be needed to become a combat system, but it's still a step in that direction. Considering the size, weight, and needs of the system, I'd be surprised if a destroyer could actually field one. Could this be the weapon that revives the concept of a battleship?

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2008
Well Whaddaya Know?

Ron gets a holy no-prize for letting us know there's a patron saint for computers, users, programmers, and the internet. Considering how much I'm struggling with .net's Ajax toolkit right now, I need all the help I can get!

Posted by scott at 12:38 PM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2008
Everything Old is New Again

It appears the jetpack patents have changed hands again. I remember seeing these things on TV as a kid in the 70s, and as I recall the thing was invented in the mid-60s. Forty years later, it seems nobody's managed to increase the range significantly. Will the jet powered version pan out? Well, microjets have definitely made progress in the intervening years, but I can't recall any with the required performance. Jet packs: the transportation of the future, now and forever!

Posted by scott at 09:11 AM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2008
Blue Tooth, Blue Leg

Engineers are using technology more commonly found in cellphones to help amputees walk again. Personally, I think they should fit a speaker on them that makes that "rwah-rwah-rwah*" sound if they try to walk slowly.

----
* Anyone? Anyone? Gah. It's a reference. Google "Steve Austin" ferchrissake. Geeze. Kids these days...

Posted by scott at 06:58 PM eMail this entry!
Whale of a Ship

I've heard of pie-in-the-sky plans before, but this is ridiculous:

The whale-shaped airship, developed with French national aerospace research body ONERA, will be able to accommodate 40 guests and have a range of 5,000 km.

Definitely going to file that one under "believe it when I see it."

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2008
Minigun Fun

Ron gets a no-prize that'll go through a box of bullets at an alarming rate for bringing us news of a .22 caliber rim-fire minigun. While cheap to fire and comparatively lightweight, I can't help but think the ATF has had a lengthy, mind-numbingly bureaucratic discussion with this guy. Can't have the plebes building their own automatic weapons, eh?

Posted by scott at 08:58 AM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2008
Up and Out

Slashdot and Fark linked up news that NASA is interested in creating an online role playing game. Which is all well and good, but since I seem to be one of exactly six people who have never once played World of Warcraft, I simply have no idea why "Koreans will be first to Mars" is funny. I got lots of nothing on that one, but I saw it in both places, so I guess I'll laugh uncomfortably, assuming it's some sort of weird inside joke.

For once, I have a feeling I don't need to get out more.

Posted by scott at 05:00 PM eMail this entry!
Paging the Spinners, White Courtesy Phone Please

While a double-action motorized gatling-style rubber band gun is ipso facto on my "want" list, it seems to be an awful lot of work for a few seconds of "fire-at-will." Maybe if they invented an autoloader for it?

A fiddly toy in which I actually find a fault? Could this mean I'm growing up at last?

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
January 17, 2008
Click-Boom!

Mark gets a no-prize with azimuth and elevation for bringing us this simple yet surprisingly fun "artillery" game. I think it's that great whistle at the end that makes it work.

Posted by scott at 02:33 PM eMail this entry!
City Color

While rather short on description, this collection of urban color photographs from the 40s, 50s, and 60s was still pretty interesting. It seems a lot less like history when it looks as if the photo was taken just last week.

Posted by scott at 07:20 AM eMail this entry!
January 16, 2008
Fun at Sea

Fans of the deep blue should find this TED presentation on recent ocean dives fun. Now you see the octopus, now you don't!

Posted by scott at 11:01 AM eMail this entry!
January 15, 2008
All-in-One on the Seas

The Netherlands are betting the future of warships isn't in massive carriers, but rather extremely capable amphibious support ships. Europe's Achilles heel of projecting power has always been its ability to transport and support its troops significant distances from its borders. This may represent a major step toward solving that problem.

Posted by scott at 12:29 PM eMail this entry!
Mystery Solved. Again.

A group of German historians are claiming to have once and for all solved the mystery of who, exactly, is portrayed in DaVinci's Mona Lisa. This time around, the solution is a merchant's wife long considered a sort of "second-runner-up" on the list of potential candidates.

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2008
Fun with Keyboards

In my own life, "ergonomic" keyboards are literally a pain. I do, however, think some of the flat ones are pretty interesting. The laser-projected system is especially interesting (if it works), because it opens up a whole new avenue in user interface design. As the sole system designer for a seething cat herd of little old ladies and social work majors, anything that gives me more UI options is a Good Thing.

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2008
Time Blog

Jeff gets a no-prize hidden in the back of a roll-top desk* for bringing us news of a WWI "retro blog". I've always found such histories very powerful... the people are there, the detail is extreme, and they don't know how it all ends. This puts quite a different spin on the subject than you'd get with a historian in a library.

---
* No-prize to the first person to figure out the reference.

Posted by scott at 12:51 PM eMail this entry!
January 08, 2008
Wireless Surroundings

It would appear that, after an insanely long time, a manufacturer has come up with a wireless solution for audiophile speaker systems. What? People actually think it's unreasonable to have miles of wiring skirting their floors and ceilings to get sound where it needs to go?

In all seriousness, this would be a big "get" if it were to appear at (eventually) sane prices. When I wired my rig up, I actually put the surrounds too close to the listening area. It'd be nice if I only needed to reposition the speakers themselves to correct the problem, instead of pulling a whole set of new wires*.

----
* Because I did not make the original run 2 inches too short. I was conserving wire! My story, sticking to it, etc.

Posted by scott at 06:54 PM eMail this entry!
Speaking of Gear...

Three-foot-wide computer monitor, anyone? I sincerely want one, but I also sincerely don't want to know what they'll cost. Ah well, something else to spend my lottery money on, I suppose.

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
TV Tech

Instapundit linked up two articles providing details on the first production TVs based on OLED technology. Family circumstances prevented us from upgrading our long-suffering CRT TV last year. Maybe that'll prove to be a good thing. If nothing else, these new sets should create even more downward price pressure on sets using existing technologies. A win all around!

Posted by scott at 12:27 PM eMail this entry!
Just Don't Mix up the Buttons

Taser, meet MP3 player. Player, taser. I love this country!

Posted by scott at 08:39 AM eMail this entry!
January 07, 2008
Well Why Not?

Looks like pretty much everyone is into playing the Wii:

The gadget-loving Queen has become HOOKED on Prince William's new Nintendo Wii games console.

William's girlfriend Kate Middleton bought him the Ł200 gift for Christmas - but he now has to share it with his grandma.

We've been looking semi-seriously for one for awhile now, and have found it's not the playing that's the tough part, it's the buying. Oh, I know, it's not that hard to pick one up if you really want to, but we have much more important things to plan against a big expense. This one's mostly just an impulse, which is thwarted by all the rest of you Wii-nuts grabbing them before they're out of the crate. Stop it! :)

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
January 05, 2008
Funhouse, FTW

I'm not at all sure just exactly what a black light, florescent paint, and a MiG-21 have to do with laser tag, but it sure does look interesting. A few beers, some naked chicks, and hell you're talking a party!

Posted by scott at 05:58 PM eMail this entry!
January 04, 2008
A Snow Plow, for the Rest of Us

Leave it to the Japanese to invent a robotic snow plow that scoops up snow in the front, and "poops" out neat ice bricks from the back. Clears your street and provides building materials for Eskimos. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 10:42 AM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2008
Show Me the Merchandise

Friend Mahmood links up seven basic tips for shopping in the East. At first glance, it sure seems to be much more trouble than it's worth. Inveterate shoppers in the peanut gallery may disagree. Still, I'll try to keep it all in mind, should we ever make our way there some day.

Update: Linkee now workee.

Posted by scott at 01:03 PM eMail this entry!
December 31, 2007
Photo Zoom

Behold the "ZUI". Those who think the digital revolution has run its course aren't paying attention.

This particular demonstration is nearly a year old. The Wikipedia entries don't seem to be much more recent. I wonder how far along they've gotten since?

Posted by scott at 09:04 AM eMail this entry!
December 26, 2007
I Wonder if Bat Concessions Cost 3x More Than the Bat Tickets

What I want to know is, how does a "retired naturalist" afford something like this? A less charitable part of me thinks, "naturalists know all sorts of nooks and crannies in which to grow certain very profitable grasses." But that's just my terribly unfunny speculation. Sort of thing.

Posted by scott at 04:47 PM eMail this entry!
Cross and Serpent Rising

Road and Track has the first (that I've seen anyway) road test of the new 8C Competizione, And Yeah, They Find it to be Good. Costs nearly as much as my house, so it better be. Still, it's nice to see the flagship model living up to its promise.

Posted by scott at 01:55 PM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2007
"Tata", for Now

It would seem a kind of "NFL late season math" sort of thing will end up helping Alfa Romeo get at a state-of-the-art rear wheel drive platform. Since we here in the US have yet to see "bolt one" of any sort of Alfa, I'm not sure if this is a big deal or not. Still, if it gets us Alfisti closer to a true RWD platform, I'll consider it a plus.

Posted by scott at 06:43 PM eMail this entry!
Just in Time for Christmas

Thing is, if I really were able to buy something like this, I'd probably still spend most of my time running into walls. But it'd look so good when I did!

Posted by scott at 07:46 AM eMail this entry!
December 20, 2007
Mr. Fission Update

It would appear Toshiba wins the prize as the first company to produce one of those "fission in a box" devices for commercial use. Yet another device which, if it pans out, would go a very long way toward ending our dependence on foreign oil.

Posted by scott at 09:09 AM eMail this entry!
December 19, 2007
SuperBattery

Scientists have announced the development of a lithium-ion battery technology which could extend charge capacity to beyond 20 hours. The secret? Silicon "nano wires" which are able to absorb a large amount of lithium ions without pulverizing. While there is no word on when such devices might see the inside of a laptop, the processes are "well understood" and the inventors are already shopping their patents around to venture capitalists and existing battery manufacturers.

Update: According to (what I presume to be) informed comments on Slashdot, if this technology pans out it could result in electric cars than run more than 1000 miles on a single charge. In other words, this could well be the invention which cuts us loose from foreign oil dependency, turning the Islamofacists into the sand fleas they most richly deserve to be, and hastening one Mr. Chavez's appointment to "hang out" at the village square.

If it pans out, of course.

Posted by scott at 02:41 PM eMail this entry!
Loss Departure

Audiophiles will be pleased to hear Apple is considering adding a "lossless" section of their iTunes store. I've never been impressed with the quality of on-line downloads. To me, they have a very strong background "ringing buzz" that makes it sound like the music's being played through a bell. Because of that, for my own listening purposes, I've never taken downloads seriously as a way to listen to music. If they ever actually do implement a lossless codec format for downloading, I'll most likely change my mind.

Posted by scott at 09:27 AM eMail this entry!
December 18, 2007
Vectrex Forever!

Fans of vintage video games should find this comprehensive history of the Vectrex of interest. I lusted after one when it came out, but it was too expensive to buy on my allowance. Ellen's dad picked one up soon after they came out, and she has many fond memories of the system.

Posted by scott at 08:38 AM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2007
Dead DVD

It would appear Dead Like Me is returning with a straight-to-DVD movie. A lot depends on just who is behind the thing, but the trailer looks interesting.

Posted by scott at 03:54 PM eMail this entry!
December 16, 2007
A Competition You Can't Look Away From

Gleaming models of glittering starships ruling the night are all well and good, but everyone knows the most interesting machines have scars. I don't even want to know how long it took to gin some of those things up.

Posted by scott at 08:28 AM eMail this entry!
December 14, 2007
Bang Your (Classic) Head

The Final Countdown never sounded so good. Hey, if disco can be recycled, anything can be saved.

Posted by scott at 08:44 AM eMail this entry!
December 13, 2007
Librarians R Us

While we're certainly nowhere near 3500 books, I think we may some day try this solution on our own library. Just being able to figure out what's in there would be nice, for a start.

Posted by scott at 01:53 PM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2007
A Light Bright, for Grownups

Mark gets a no-prize covered in blinkenlights for bringing us a look at what everyone's favorite automated Christmas light display is up to this year. These guys could definitely take some lessons from the Bellagio Fountain folks, but considering they most likely did it all on their own, it's plenty impressive enough.

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2007
Dino Bot

Slashdot linked up the first of what I'm sure will be many reviews of the Ugobe Pleo. The verdict? Definite shortcomings, but also definite fun. The warning, "not for children under 8" is reiterated in the review, so I'll be taking it seriously and waiting a few years for upgrades and hopefully price reductions. But those of you with older kids won't have that limitation, so enjoy!

Update: Yeah, I know there's a video out there of someone torturing one of these things. As far as I'm concerned, people who torture children's toys for the fun of it aren't being clever or amusing, they're using the toy as a proxy for a child. Not cool, not cool one least little bit.

Posted by scott at 02:30 PM eMail this entry!
An Elegant Weapon, for a More Hygenic Age

Researchers have developed a toothbrush that functions using only light. Olivia hates "spicy" toothpaste, so assuming this thing actually works, we're going to be quite interested in it.

Posted by scott at 10:16 AM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2007
Definitely Gotta Get One of These
Posted by scott at 07:36 AM eMail this entry!
December 05, 2007
Diver Down III

Get it while the bandwidth lasts: a nifty collection of underwater wreck diving pictures. I'm pretty sure at least one of the big aircraft is a Japanese Betty, and one of the smaller ones is a Grumman F6F Hellcat. If I'm right, then this'll be somewhere in the South Pacific.

Posted by scott at 08:54 AM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2007
Monster Car

While I do agree the Lamborghini Reventon is a neat car, I can't see how they make any money on these damned things. I'm just about certain it cost more than $20 mil to develop it, probably quite a bit more. I guess Audi looks at Lamborghini the way most of us look at boats... large holes in which to pour money.

Posted by scott at 01:11 PM eMail this entry!
December 03, 2007
Roomba Review

IRobot has come out with a new, improved Roomba vacuum, and if this extensive review is any indication, it would seem the new model addresses most if not all of the problems earlier models experienced. Bonus: greenie angst over machine gun-toting Roombas conquering our homes.

Our current vacuum cleaner is only about a year old, so we won't be switching any time soon. However, when replacement time comes back around, I'll most likely seriously consider it.

Posted by scott at 11:51 AM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2007
Plastic Crabs

Seems to me, a walking machine this stable and cheap would make the ideal basis for a planetary rover. If you could get it to fold down and unfold properly, at any rate. Regardless, kinetic sculptures made from PVC pipe, plastic sheeting, and soda bottles represent some pretty impressive engineering.

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
November 27, 2007
Robot Grab

Sometimes you just gotta love AvWeek's sense of humor:

Japanese researchers have developed a soft-handed robot named Twendy-One that can gently grip frail objects like eggs, bread and the elderly.

Call my mom a "frail object" and she'll run you over with her walker. Don't mess with little old ladies!

Posted by scott at 03:47 PM eMail this entry!
Have Tumbleweed, Will Travel

Definitely a case of spinning flax to gold:

Linda started her online business, the Prairie Tumbleweed Farm, as a joke. It was 1994 and she wanted to teach herself how to design a website. Since she lived on the prairie in southwest Kansas, where rolling tumbleweeds are sometimes the only dynamic feature of an endless flat horizon, she invented a farm that sold tumbleweeds, listing prices at $15 for a small one, $20 for a medium and $25 for large.

Which now apparently brings her something north of $40,000 a year. At first this might seem like easy money, but catching, packing, and shipping the things doesn't sound as if it's a breeze. Let's hear it for the market!

Posted by scott at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
November 26, 2007
Alfa Entry

Autoweek got its hands on an Alfa 8C Competizione, and apparently, It Was Good:

Exploding out of the underpass at 7000 rpm in fourth, with the tiniest dabs on the brake pedal and a tickling caress of the wheel, America's first Alfa Romeo in 13 years sneaks in toward the Armco. Even with no front grip left, it swallows the mashed throttle with a downward lunge onto the outside rear tire, flicks back to the right and then exits the 110-mph flip-flop with a gentle drift.

At $250,000 SRP, I'll certainly never own one, but it definitely sounds like it'll make a very big splash in the market.

Posted by scott at 03:07 PM eMail this entry!
Mr. Fission

Slashdot linked up news of the development of a "nuclear battery." The device would be about the size of a hot tub, completely self-contained without any moving parts, and be able to power 25,000 homes for 5 years. While I personally have some concerns about safety and security, if the thing doesn't require any human intervention then it would seem to me such concerns would be straightforward to address.

Addressing the many and varied concerns of the moonbat luddite watermelon anti-nuke crowd... well, that's a whole different kettle o' glowing fish, ain't it?

Still, if it works, and if it flies, it will most likely change just about everything about how we power things in the future. It's that big of a deal.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2007
What a Bargain!

For the car collector with everything: a one-of-a-kind GM prototype from John Delorean. While the article claims it to be the progenitor of the Stingray Corvette, research seems to indicate the Corvette design was based on a much earlier prototype. The answer may never be known. It was always my understanding that the Banshee was an early ancestor of the 2nd gen Firebird. But what do I know?

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2007
Temple of Secrets

Only in Italy would a spectacular underground temple complex be built, hidden from authorities, discovered, and then provided with retroactive permission to exist. Who would've thought a hole in the ground would be able to describe an entire nation?

Posted by scott at 09:45 AM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2007
Up N' Down

While some of these creative staircases are pretty neat, others look more like creative ways to dump a person on their head. I have a hard enough time with our regular stairs.

Via Violets and Starships

Posted by scott at 01:25 PM eMail this entry!
November 20, 2007
CannonGoesWhere?

Carrie gets a no-prize that will intimidate onlookers while it cooks for bringing us what could possibly be the best solution to beer-butt chicken created to-date. For the season, they're discussing turkey, but if I'm reading the article right it'll work for pretty much any poultry. Looks like a neat way to add flavor to your next roasting attempt.

Posted by scott at 11:45 AM eMail this entry!
November 19, 2007
Have (Plastic) Gun, Will Travel

The Wii shooter control would seem to have arrived. I will be very interested to see how this control affects play of my second-favorite video game genre. I'm legendary for being a fast mover and a poor shooter, so it'll be amusing to see if this new style of controller accentuates or attenuates any strengths or weaknesses I may have.

I am nerd. Hear me roar.

Posted by scott at 03:08 PM eMail this entry!
Nerds with Money

Hey, as long as you pay your taxes and stay out of trouble, why not stick a custom home theater modeled after a starship bridge in your home? And then invite me! I'll bring beer!

Posted by scott at 08:32 AM eMail this entry!
November 17, 2007
Sharp Indeed

The language and platform I've hitched my developer career to was used in at least one DARPA-challenge vehicle! Complete with memory leaks and everything. And let me tell you, in a managed language that's no small feat!

Personally, I haven't had much use for the listener pattern yet. But I'm sure it's just a matter of time. I'll most likely make more use of it as I branch out of web-only development.

Yeah, it's a glorified advertisement. But whaddayagonnado? Hey, it's my website. I'll write about what I want!

Posted by scott at 07:43 AM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2007
Car Zap

EMP-based auto disablers, which have been thought about for years by various engineering geeks, seem to have been made a reality.

This thing'll require a ton of field tests before anyone tries it for real. The fear of control loss is quite real. On a modern car, zapping the engine also turns off power steering immediately and power brakes after just a few pedal presses. If the chases on COPS are any indication, fleeing perps are poor drivers even when everything works. Putting their steering wheels in oatmeal and their brakes in concrete would seem pretty dangerous, at least on the face of it.

Posted by scott at 12:19 PM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2007
Somebody for Everyone

Everyone's favorite Internet woodland character has gone and gotten himself engaged. Yet another thing I'll tell Olivia about: "daddy can remember when it took more than a weird costume and a goofy look to get on TV."

Posted by scott at 02:39 PM eMail this entry!
Lots of Itsy-Bitsies

While a spiderweb that completely covers several trees is a little creepy to think about, if it eats "thousands of mosquitoes" it's just fine by me. Growing up in an area surrounded by rice fields, as just about all of eastern Arkansas was in the 1970s, will do that to a person.

Posted by scott at 12:41 PM eMail this entry!
November 12, 2007
S'what I'm Talking About

Jay Tea gets a "parting gift" no-prize for doing his level best to bring us the actual picture referred to in the "people pix" article below. When someone fights our spam filters that hard, they deserve it!

Posted by scott at 07:15 PM eMail this entry!
People Pix

Mark gets a populated no-prize for bringing us this collection of "people pictures." Go look, you'll understand. The one I remember best is of an old National Geographic cover, I think from the early 60s, which was on my Granmother's bookshelf. It had a large group of sailors standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier in their dress whites, spelling out E=MC2

The ship? Enterprise.

Posted by scott at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
For The Inner Kid In All Of us

The Virtual Lite-Brite.

Happy playing!

Posted by Ellen at 06:41 AM eMail this entry!
November 10, 2007
A Real Close Shave

Cool only because (presumably) nobody got hurt, we have this abject demonstration of why big fences surround race tracks. And why real race cars always have roll cages.

Posted by scott at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
Flapjacks on Wheels

Scientists at MIT are developing a stackable electric car. You're not going to be traveling across country in it, but if you need to get across town, well, it might be just the thing. People have tried this before, but maybe with fuel prices this high it'll actually be profitable.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2007
Scratch Buildin'

If you've ever wondered just what is involved in super-detailing a scale model (and I know you are), wonder no more. Cute girl. Bummer about the leg though.

Posted by scott at 01:39 PM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2007
He Likes to Work with Metal

Why wait for Alfa to come back when you can build your own? Somewhere out there, Ron is screaming, "that's exactly what I want to do some day!!!" Well, me too. And probably more than a few of the rest of you.

Posted by scott at 03:11 PM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2007
An Alfa, for the Rest of Us

This... now this I might be able to afford:

Alfa Romeo, one of the biggest underachievers of recent years among Europe’s burgeoning premium car ranks, is aiming to place itself well and truly on the comeback trail in 2008, with a compact entry-level hatchback inspired by one of its most successful models ever – the cherished 105-series 1300 Junior.

Unfortunately the nearby Ferrari dealership recently hung a Lamborghini sign on its expansion construction. I can't help but think it was meant, in part, as a sort of, "oh will you please just shut up!" sort of thing to Alfisti cruising the area. So we'll just have to see who and how close.

And, of course, how much.

Posted by scott at 06:00 PM eMail this entry!
The More You Know...

I'm sure The Simpsons fanatics in the peanut gallery knew all about it, but I didn't know until today that Moe Szyslak is based on an actual person. An that whole prank call running joke that's been with the show since the start? Yup, a complete homage to what appears to be the mother of all crank callers.

Personally I don't go for the modern stuff Stern's gang pulls, but I have to admit these ancient classics are damned funny.

Posted by scott at 03:16 PM eMail this entry!
November 06, 2007
~ Come Fly with Me...

... let's fly and find some pork ~ :

One of our policy wonks loved the flight simulator that allows you to fly over earmark locations. It allows you to fly your choice of two aircraft anywhere around the globe, with custom layers visible from the aircraft.

If nothing else, the map should give those on the outside some ammunition for getting pork of their own. Sounds like a bad thing, but if everyone's fighting over it then it gets a bit harder to get any of it passed.

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 03:31 PM eMail this entry!
An All-in-One, for the Rest of Us

"Kegerator" + MAME box = video game + refreshments. Another way of looking at it could be, "I remember when video games took up that whole cabinet. You can fit a whole kegerator in it now."

Posted by scott at 12:31 PM eMail this entry!
November 05, 2007
A Pun in a Pan
Posted by scott at 01:58 PM eMail this entry!
Challenge Success

Congratulations to Tartan Racing from Pittsburgh, PA winners of the DARPA Urban Challenge. I knew Olivia would never learn to drive a stick if I didn't teach her. It never occurred to me she may not need to learn to drive.

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
November 02, 2007
Pixel Paint

Did anything from your favorite game end up in this art gallery of video game concepts? The biggest problem I have with really cool artwork in a video game is that I'm usually ducking and shooting so much I don't have time to appreciate it.

Posted by scott at 04:02 PM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2007
Hell it's His Money

Have lotto ticket, will travel (on a broomstick):

Wiccan high priest Elwood "Bunky" Bartlett, who won an estimated $49 million in the Maryland lottery last month, intends to use his money to set up a school for witches -- a real-life Hogwarts.

I definitely wouldn't want to be on the local zoning board when this guy shows up.

Posted by scott at 12:17 PM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2007
For the Smasher with Everything

Just in time for Christmas, everyone's favorite wreck crusher is for sale. I could've sworn I'd seen this thing on commercials for events in the US, but I can't imagine it would be all that profitable to ship it here from the UK. Maybe there's a duplicate wandering around?

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2007
Ka-Pow!

It's amazing the things you can catch with a camera, a tripod, and more than a little chutzpah. One of the aspects of high rise living both Ellen and I miss is the commanding views from the high floors. It was better than a weather forecaster for predicting the really big stuff.

Posted by scott at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
When Scale is 1:1

Full-sized lunar lander, anyone? I'm most likely better off not knowing how much one costs.

Then again, if it were durable enough, and I could charge $5 for a "ride"... hmmm...

Posted by scott at 01:02 PM eMail this entry!
~ 'Cause it's only an E-Paper Moon... ~

Bridgestone has created the "world's thinnest" e-paper display, and unveiled another that can display more than 4,000 colors. Suddenly the paper computers featured most recently in Vernor Vinge's latest don't seem so far away.

Posted by scott at 08:23 AM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2007
Can-Can

Mark gets an arty no-prize that helps feed the homeless for bringing us Canstruction:

A foundation of the Society for Design Administration (SDA), Canstruction® is a design/build competition currently held in cities throughout North America. Teams of architects, engineers, and students mentored by these professionals, compete to design and build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food.

Don't miss the photo and video galleries! Puts those soda can displays at the grocery store to shame.

Posted by scott at 01:41 PM eMail this entry!
BeeBeepZipBang!

IBM has announced a new chipset which will allow the wireless transmission of full-length hi-def videos in seconds.

When I read things like this, I often think about all those who, just a year or two ago, insisted The Only Way Toward Progress was through government-funded broadband initiatives. Oh, the wailing and gnashing of teeth that would be heard when one or the other of these ideas ran up against the everyday reality of business interests and local politics. Such complaining! I often wondered if any of them still had their "c:\spot run" t-shirts on, what with all the ripping and tearing and shrieking against bloodthirsty corporations and Luddite politicians!

And yet. And yet. If they'd had their way, yes, we'd all be sitting pretty with our medium-sized pipes shooting medium-sized dollops of information around. Well, those of us who could afford computers and had the knowledge to use them at least. But what would've happened after stage one? Now that we have these pipes, when do we get new ones? Who pays for those? Who would've even bothered researching if they knew they'd have to go through what everyone knows is the absolutely head-splitting exercise known as "local government?"

All too often charismatic politicians stump for things like "building bridges to the future." I only wish more of you would just stop for a second before nodding your head and grabbing your sign and ask, "why do we need a bridge?"

The answer may surprise you.

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2007
I Do So Love This Show
Posted by scott at 07:15 AM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2007
Putting the Hammer Down

Driving across country in less than 32 hours is damned dangerous and utterly reckless. It's hard for me to say it, but I really am to old for that sort of thing.

Which is not to say I don't find it exciting or perhaps even admirable, in a "Pulp Fiction is good because it's so bad" sort of way.

Don't miss the film that started this guy's quest.

Posted by scott at 10:22 AM eMail this entry!
Tiger Tiger Burning Bright

Mark gets a no prize that looks intimidating but can't really speak English for bringing us news that a German company plans on producing WWII-era Tiger tanks. I think. The thing reads like a bad Google translation.

Hey Mark... your neighbors only thought it was a pain when people parked their boats on the street!

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2007
Mid-Era Legend

Presenting the car that kindled my interest in automobiles. It took the 1984 Corvette to turn that pilot light into a roar (as detailed here), but I quite fondly remember many a day spent ogling the Trans Am as well. Twenty five years ago, no less. Good lord!

Via Instapundit, who seems to be a closet car nerd.

Posted by scott at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
Pack it all

While this universal packing list generator is heavy on common sense and a bit light on insight, it's still nice to have a checklist that certainly seems to cover Everything. Being justifiably famous for a certain lack of good ol' CS, I most likely could use this thing.

Posted by scott at 12:07 PM eMail this entry!
Have at You!

Looks like we're not the only ones who have goofy nerdy, "what would you do if..." conversations whilst watching Shark Week on Discovery. Only in this case, they actually used that knowledge. And, of course, they were watching some damned fool Australian channel instead.

Posted by scott at 09:13 AM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2007
More Than Meets the Eye

As part of what I'm sure is some giant promotional push for the upcoming DVD release, Scientific American has a behind-the-scenes look at the computer wizardry used in the movie Transformers. Still, it's fun to read about the details, and the fact that they're pushing the envelope so hard they're actually waiting for faster processors to make more realistic effects.

Posted by scott at 02:01 PM eMail this entry!
You'd Think They Could've Sent a Prayer or Two Our Way

Hey, why can't orthodox Jews enjoy a football game? Hopefully we won't see "Muslims protest presence..." stories surrounding this.

Posted by scott at 10:42 AM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2007
Happy H-Day

Olivia, as expected, will be going trick-or-treating as a princess this year, but you might get other ideas from this collection. It's not making the costume that's hard, it's making it durable enough for an entire day's (or night's) wear that's difficult. That, and ensuring you have the body type to pull it off (c.f. Tron-guy).

Posted by scott at 10:19 AM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2007
From Tactical to Practical

Ron gets a wobbly no-prize for bringing us yet another use for vodka. Alternate title: Paging Mythbusters, White Courtesy Phone Please.

Posted by scott at 02:52 PM eMail this entry!
THUMP!!!

Mark gets a no-prize that'll beat him stupid for bringing us this wild video of two male giraffes fighting during the mating season. Actually, I did know they fought like this, but all the documentaries I'd seen must've used really long lenses to capture the action. I certainly didn't know they landed such meaty thumps on each other.

The things guys do for chicks, I tell ya...

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
October 09, 2007
Halt! Hammerzeit!

He may look like he belongs in Southern California, but let me tell you, this kraut's got skillz. I can't juggle a checkbook balance, let alone something as dangerous as a hammer.

Posted by scott at 08:26 AM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2007
But Did They Make the Ricochet Noise?

While the article seems to be targeted (as it were) toward hunters, this study on just how much bullets are deflected by branches and twigs was still pretty nifty. Any time someone starts shooting inanimate objects in the name of science is a good time by me.

Mark gets a no-prize with a dowel rack on for bringing us this study in "Bullet Teimz."

Posted by scott at 07:44 AM eMail this entry!
October 07, 2007
An "Ex-" X-Wing

As expected, Star Wars tech != real world tech. For comparison, about ten years ago a different GWTMTOHH* built a 1/12th scale model of a Saturn V, complete with liquid fuel and gimbaled motors. Flew like a champ.

Of course, as has been pointed out elsewhere, the X-wing is supposedly a space craft, not an aircraft. Rules are different, that sort of thing.

All I can say is it was most likely much more fun for me to watch than it was for the guys who built it.

----
Guy With Too Much Time On His Hands. Call them Styx men.

Posted by scott at 12:42 PM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2007
Tangible Music

I'm not sure I'd have more luck with something like this than I would a regular keyboard, but I'd probably have a lot more fun playing with the shapes. I'm not sure we'd ever get Olivia away from the thing.

Posted by scott at 08:49 AM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2007
Wired for Sound

Everyone's favorite psychic debunkerhas decided to take on my own favorite junk-science hobby, high-end hi-fi. James Randi is offering $1 million to anyone who can prove a $7500 cable is any better than an $80 one.

I was just getting started in the hobby when Monster Cable made its debut. Until that point, the "big secret" of stereo gear was .25c/ft. lamp cord you got from the hardware store. Half a dozen double-blind tests from the likes of Stereo Review and Hi-Fi (back before Monster Cable became a major ad buyer) showed zero difference between this pedestrian staple and the $20/ft stuff available from MC.

Twenty-five years later, absolutely nothing has changed. While I don't actually use lamp cord (it's not exactly an attractive choice), I have no qualms whatever buying the much cheaper store-brand cables and wire. I also have zero sympathy with the sales drone who tries to sell me something fancier. It's simply not worth it because it doesn't matter. Really!

But hey, it's your money. Who knows how many Chinese workers are being kept employed by loons purchasing hyper-expensive copper wire?

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
October 03, 2007
I am a precisional instrument of speed and aeromatics

High speed bullet photography is always fun. It's all about microphones and a really understanding landlord, I tell ya.

Posted by scott at 06:02 PM eMail this entry!
Paging Red 5, White Courtesy Phone Please

At 21 feet long, this home-built X-wing model must be a very low fraction scale model. As I recall, the original full-size set models weren't a helluva lot bigger. And they're going to shove 4 M-class engines in it and fire it into the sky. No matter what the outcome, that's going to be one neat video!

Posted by scott at 05:18 PM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2007
Hyper Real Modern Art

This is the kind of modern art I respect. I cannot stand walking into a museum and seeing just a canvas on a wall with paint spatter that a 4 year old can accomplish or a freaking piece of fabric simply tacked to the wall.

Posted by Ellen at 08:20 PM eMail this entry!
Keep Rollin' On

While Alfisti celebrate at least one GTV-6 with 350,000 miles on it, one Honda owner is trying to sell a car with nearly 1,000,000 miles on it. Original engine, no less.

However, when you have a car on the road that long, a lot of expensive things become wear items. It'd be interesting to see just how much he spent a year keeping it on the road. Trust me, it was a lot more than just oil changes.

Posted by scott at 11:49 AM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2007
Drop Top

The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione will soon be available as a spider. Which puts me exactly as close to it as I am to a hard top version (0 x [anything] still = 0). Still, it's nice to look at, and who knows what fortune may bring 'round my retirement age. Hey, I gotta spend my kid's inheritance on something!

Posted by scott at 03:26 PM eMail this entry!
Slide On Down!

Lisa gets a no-prize that'll give her wings for bringing us an inside look at Red Bull's London headquarters. With that kind of money, I hope they finally figured out how to keep a plastic slide from giving you a nuclear-sized static charge. Otherwise it'll make the bolts Olivia generates on the local park slides look like tiny snaps.

Posted by scott at 02:03 PM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2007
Now That's an All-in-One

Not only does it copy and print, it'll also translate on the fly. Put in a Japanese document for copying, punch a special button, and the copies come out in English. Hopefully it's better than the various Internet translation systems. If it is, I don't want to know how much it costs.

Posted by scott at 02:03 PM eMail this entry!
September 27, 2007
Fun with Calculators

Well, according to this, I'm on schedule for a demise in my early 80s. Which is kinda nice, because with my family history I'd figured when I turned 50 I'd just explode.

Mark gets a no-prize in the shape of an hourglass for bringing us yet another way to predict when we're gonna die. :)

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2007
Day-yum!

Mark gets a no-prize you just don't want to mess with for bringing us this promotional video from what appears to be a private venture in heavy-weapon convoy protection. Supposedly they are, "exactly what are mounted inside the Black SUV's you see in Presidential Motorcades and VIP caravans."

A minigun and a Suburban. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 12:53 PM eMail this entry!
FS: 1297 MC, VGC, 20M OBO

One of four original versions of the 1297 charter of the Magna Carta is due to go on sale at Sotheby's. This one belonged to the Perot foundation, and was until recently on display at the National Archives. The auction house is expecting ~ 20 million for the item.

Posted by scott at 10:18 AM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2007
The Devil Returns

Bibliophiles (like me) should find the return of the Medieval "Devil's Bible" to its home in Prague of interest. Taken by the Swedes as spoils at the end of the 30 years war in 1648, the huge (165 pounds!) tome actually represents a sum of all knowledge available to a particular Benedictine house in that city. It's not a permanent arrangement, however. According to the article, it's due to return to its captivity on January 6.

Posted by scott at 12:57 PM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2007
Cooler Islands

Come, gentle reader, and discover the world's most amazing islands. Two of them are completely artificial, built around Dubai. It would seem that, as long as you put them on a smallish island, Arabs do pretty well after all.

Posted by scott at 11:30 AM eMail this entry!
September 19, 2007
Well Ain't that Somethin'?

I knew, if I searched long enough, I'd find a castle in England continuously owned, and occupied, by the family who built it. There apparently being exactly one of them, it's no wonder the search took a bit of time. Still, they give tours of the place, and for ~ $200 the guy who owns it will take you 'round. I mean, what's not to love about a house that has to warn people "do not climb on the cannon"?

On reading their website, the whole bunch seem to be quite nice people. Might have to mark that as a stop if we ever manage to drag ourselves out there.

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2007
Library Love

This collection of pictures taken in large and/or significant libraries should brighten the morning of any bibliophile in the audience. I've been to both the Peabody in Baltimore and the Library of Congress in DC, and they're just as impressive in person as they are in the pictures.

I just wish we'd kept more of the older ones.

Posted by scott at 08:49 AM eMail this entry!
September 16, 2007
Righteous!!! Righteous!!!

Mark gets a rare second no-prize in one day for bringing us this peaen to the world's fastest production car, the Bugatti Veyron. It's my understanding that VW recommends using a different tire for such high-speed runs. However, one of the unexpected challenges of building the car was finding a tire manufacturer willing to develop a road car product that was capable of safely reaching such high speeds, so it most likely really is a recommendation instead of a requirement.

I do rather wished they'd laid off the dramatic music a bit to let us hear what the thing sounds like at full song. That's going to be one rare piece of music indeed.

Posted by scott at 07:41 AM eMail this entry!
If It's Good Enough for Teh Intarwebs...

... it's good enough for David Letterman.

Mark gets a cool and complicated no-prize for bringing us proof that even a geeky engineer has a shot on Late Night if he's funny enough.

Posted by scott at 07:16 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2007
Train: 1, Minivan: 0

Consider it an abject lesson in, "no matter how safe a car is made, you can still splatter yourself if you try hard enough." The program seems to be some sort of Mythbusters-like series, so no worries about safety here.

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
September 13, 2007
Ka-BOOM!!!

Making the rounds: Russia has successfully tested the world's largest fuel-air explosive device. The Russian government is claiming it's four times as powerful as our own MOAB F-A device.

Posted by scott at 12:45 PM eMail this entry!
Sketchmaster

The best I ever did was a diagonal line. I think this guy's been on various talk shows over the years. At least, I seem to recall seeing stuff like this in the recent past. Heh, probably on this website.

Posted by scott at 08:39 AM eMail this entry!
September 12, 2007
It's What's for Dinner

Siflay's LT. Bob is over in Iraq and recently sent some pictures of various Iraqi cookouts. The good kind. Well, if you like giant, freaky-looking carp grilled on an open fire, at least. Nice & graphic pictures too.

Posted by scott at 02:05 PM eMail this entry!
Stonehenge Reloaded

Mark gets a supermassive no-prize for bringing us one man's quest to discover the techniques used to construct Stonehenge. The only problem I had with his techniques had to do with moving the blocks around. It appears he needs a concrete slab as a bearing surface to turn and move big things easily. However, the start of the tape showed a different "rolling" technique which utilized a sort of "wobble ramp." That wouldn't require a slab at all.

Now, what archaeologists should be doing is closely examining this guy's techniques, and try to determine if they leave any sort of characteristic marks in the ground. They could then go out and look for said marks at the site, and if they find them, well, Bob's your uncle!

And that, friends, is how science works.

Posted by scott at 10:33 AM eMail this entry!
September 04, 2007
Life 101

I haven't had time to really peruse VideoJug, but from a quick browse it seems to have "how-to's" on just about everything you really need to know to make it on your own. From jump starting a car to kissing passionately to avoiding the dreaded Party Foul, they've got videos for it all. Dunno how good they are, but hey, this is the intarnet. How bad could it be?

AAAAAAGG!!! I told you I didn't want to see that again! Don't they teach what "rhetorical" means anymore? Now I gotta go get the thought bleach again...

Posted by scott at 07:15 PM eMail this entry!
Spin Display

I'm not sure what use this particular flavor of 3-D display will have, but it sure does look neat. At that rate of spin, I can't help but think it's really noisy in person.

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
September 03, 2007
Wii Valving

Valve software, developers of the Half Life series, says development for the Wii is now a "much higher priority." Of course, he also admits the company has nothing in the pipe for the Wii at the moment, so whatever they're mulling over won't show up any time soon. Still, it's nice to see a "serious" shooter company taking an interest in this innovative platform. I think the first company that manages to meld the Wii's interface with one of the most popular genres in gaming will most likely find themselves with a license to print money.

Update: Everyone's favorite homicidal annelidans are also on their way to the Wii. Worms was a fun party game even on conventional consoles. If they do it right, it should be a scream on the Wii.

Posted by scott at 04:26 PM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2007
Plastic Dragons

Possibly the coolestlego sculpture yet!

Posted by Ellen at 03:56 AM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2007
Human Slinky

This is pretty darn neat.

Posted by Ellen at 08:01 PM eMail this entry!
I Got Yer Peak Oil, Right Here

What was that you said about oil production past it's peak?

"Jack" is a recently discovered undersea oil field in the Gulf of Mexico that may exceed 15 billion barrels of oil. Given that water covers 2/3 of Earth's surface, it is not unlikely that more oil reserves exist underwater than under dry land.

The resources have always been out there, the technology just wasn't around to get them out of the ground economically. Technology, as with time, marches on, and now we have a mammoth reserve waiting for taps we're now able to build. Price goes up, profits go up, incentives go up. Incentives go up, searchers go out, more is found, prices go down. Consider it the economic equivalent of the seasons.

When it's allowed to work, that is. What many of you seemed to want was prices go up, profits go up, taxes go up. What you didn't realize was what happened after stage one of that "progressive" scenario: incentives go down, searchers stay home, and nothing changes.

Say what you will about "obscene" profits and "greedy" corporations. Just do it after I use my 0% APR credit card to fill my tank at the corner gas station. The fact that most of you refuse to see the connection is enjoyment enough for me to listen.

Via Siflay.

Posted by scott at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
All-in-One

While I definitely don't have the skillz (or toolz) to craft an all-in-one beer brewing system, I can definitely admire the results of someone who does. Beer. Is there anything it can't do?

Posted by scott at 09:00 AM eMail this entry!
August 29, 2007
Testify!

Rants just seem that much classier with an English accent. He's got lots more. I don't agree with all of them, but I agree with enough to make it all worthwhile.

And what is it with the sing-song delivery every Briton seems to break into anytime anyone points a camera at them? That something you all learn in... well, whatever the hell you guys call grade school over there?

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
Big Rock

Gem fans in the audience may be interested to know a 7000 carat diamond may have been found in South Africa. Nobody's sure if it's for real yet, so the jury's still out. If genuine, it would be the largest gem stone ever found.

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2007
Tivo Pilgrim's Progress

The wonders of a Slashdot link... it appears the cable companies are already proposing a work-around for the previously mentioned tuner incompatibility. It's nice to see they're responding, although it's difficult to tell if this is a serious and workable solution.

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
August 26, 2007
Tree Sculpting
Posted by Ellen at 05:28 PM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2007
August 23, 2007
Lead Change

All those who counted Nintendo down and out are pleased to be sitting down and shutting up now. I hadn't completely written them off, but back in the Game Cube days it definitely looked like they were heading off into the sunset.

Last weekend we had our very first "Wii party", courtesy of AMCG regular Joshua. It actually was quite a bit of fun, and was definitely the first time I'd ever had fun with an accelerometer-equipped controller. Is it enough for us to get one? We'll see.

Posted by scott at 09:04 AM eMail this entry!
August 22, 2007
Paging Pocahantas, White Courtesy Phone Please

The Washington Post today carried this in-depth look at Werowo comoco, the legendary capital city chosen by Powhatan, the Algonquian paramount chief. Powhatan made the, in hindsight, rather questionable decision to save the Jamestown settlers from starvation. If his capital city is any indication, he was about as powerful as they got in that area at that time.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2007
We're #3! We're #3!

Seems like we're not as hated as the world media likes to tell us. Of course, a generally favorable review of US tourists from hotel managers isn't exactly a broad sample, but I do like these trends:

In the poll, conducted in April by the online travel site Expedia's German branch, Americans were seen as the most likely to try to speak a foreign language and the most interested in sampling local food.

The Travel Channel really is useful after all!

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2007
Frozen Smoke

While I've been seeing stuff about aerogels for ten or fifteen years now, it appears a variety of incremental improvements have made the stuff practical and affordable in any number of contexts. It's nice when a new material starts to live up to its promise!

Posted by scott at 03:49 PM eMail this entry!
August 16, 2007
Display Bang

The Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology has developed a 3-D laser projector that only needs air to function. I'm not sure how much fun a display that creates its images by superheating tiny amounts of air will be, let alone how safe. But if they could scale it up huge it'd most likely make for some amazing fireworks. Still, they're in the early stages of development, so who knows where it might go?

Posted by scott at 09:11 AM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2007
Go Speed Buckeye! Go!

Ron gets a screaming-fast no-prize for bringing us an update on the Buckeye Bullet 2, a hydrogen fuel cell-powered race car meant for the Bonneville Salt Flats. The last BB, powered by batteries, broke 315 miles per hour. This one's expected to be much faster than that.

There's an Alfa Spider that runs at Bonneville most years, and from reading their reports it can be a really fun experience. Good luck to them!

Posted by scott at 12:20 PM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2007
Gun Show Slow-Mo

Looks like high speed photography has developed some new toys lately. And what better to shoot in high-speed than guns shooting inanimate objects?

Note: This particular bit is SFW, but other parts of the site probably aren't. RRrm... so I've been told.

Posted by scott at 02:14 PM eMail this entry!
August 07, 2007
Cha-Ching

Microsoft has announced a $50 price cut in the X-box 360. That's for a standard box. The cheaper Core Level's price is to be cut $20.

I'm still not sure if that's enough to make me pay $400 for a single video game (Halo 3). Meh, we'll see.

Posted by scott at 02:09 PM eMail this entry!
Mouth(Money);

Mike J. gets a no-prize he can take to the bank for bringing us The Ultimate Global Warming Challenge. It seems broadly similar to the classic Ehrlich-Simon bet. Let's hope the outcomes are similar as well.

Posted by scott at 10:33 AM eMail this entry!
August 06, 2007
INVISIBLE WATER

No, not the LOLcat variety, the "fun with physics" variety. Just don't make a spark!

Posted by scott at 03:37 PM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2007
You Have 30 Seconds to Comply

Fully armed robots are now on the loose in Iraq. Sure, there's only 3 of them, and they're about as glamorous as a treaded toaster. But if they work out, they could be the start of something really big.

I guess sometimes prophecies do come to pass:

By using violence as a method of political advancement, by embracing outrageous expressions of destruction as leitmotifs of a belief system, Islam makes itself worse than irrelevant. It makes itself a clear and present danger to people who are rapidly gaining the technological capability of dismantling and destroying it by remote control at no risk to the conquerors.

Of course, if they start shooting up the place at random, it'll be back to the drawing board. But most likely not for long...

Posted by scott at 02:08 PM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2007
Fun with Sand

It's amazing what people can accomplish with sand, water, and a little bit of glue. At least, I think glue is used. I seem to recall that sand sculpture of this magnitude is created with a diluted spray of Elmers. Regardless, it's damned impressive.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2007
Fun with Photos

Mark gets a donut-shaped no-prize for bringing us a clever promotional tool that lets you "simpsonize" a portrait. I'll definitely have to try this when I get home.

Posted by scott at 08:41 AM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2007
Finding a Place

One of the best features of a well-designed program is it often allows users to do things the designers didn't originally intend. Like using Google Earth as a kind of sleuthing tool. I'm really interested in what the hell a Mirage III is doing in the parking lot of (what appears to be) an office building in a suburb of Paris. I wonder if they take orders?

Posted by scott at 10:33 AM eMail this entry!
July 29, 2007
Back to the Future Garage

Car fans probably already know about Danny Botkin, the man so obsessed with DeLoreans he owns pretty much all there is to own of them. But they probably don't know He's planning to return the car to limited production. I saw a story segment on this guy a few years ago (Discovery channel I think), with him proudly displaying row upon row of DeLorean spares he'd purchased from the defunct company. It's nice to hear about him using them to bring the car completely back.

According to Wikipedia, the car is frame-based with a fiberglass monocoque. The Avanti, a Studebaker design that seems vampire-like in its immortality, was constructed in a roughly similar fashion, and was kept in very low-volume production for (as I recall) something like 30 years, so not only is this sort of thing feasible, it can even been profitable.

I'm not completely sure how he'll get around NHTSA and EPA standards, but most likely it'll involve some interesting bureaucratic hoop-jumping.

Posted by scott at 06:58 AM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2007
Fun with Legos

How about 16.5 feet of Lego aircraft carrier goodness? Now if you ask me, that'd make a damned fine living room decoration right there. At least until a cat crawled inside and peed in it, I suppose.

Ah well, can't have everything.

Posted by scott at 01:42 PM eMail this entry!
~ If I Live to See the / Seven Wonders ~

Mark gets a massive and admirable no-prize for bringing us the official site of the "new 7 world wonders". As with any list, I'm sure your favorite isn't on it.

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2007
"Pop" Goes the Tripod

While it's a little rah-rah goofy in its presentation, this "pop sci" video on the soda bottle tripod was still pretty neat. Since HDR photography basically requires a tripod, having the ability to create one on the spot can be quite valuable.

Posted by scott at 01:09 PM eMail this entry!
A Real Monster Garage

Mark gets a no-prize that'll be delivered with his next Volkswagen for bringing us the world's most impressive car garage. I can't get over how expensive the damned thing must've been to build. Dude, just pave over a field and park the things there!

Posted by scott at 10:43 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2007
But Where's the Royale with Cheese?

While the titular menu item is not in this list of "localized" MacDonald's menus, a bunch of other things are. Hey, I'm all for beer at a McD's, but I think I'll pass on the shrimp burgers.

Posted by scott at 02:21 PM eMail this entry!
Now That's Barbeque

Barbeque shaped like a giant chrome-plated pistol, anyone? Ron gets a rootin' tootin' no-prize for doing the legwork required to find this guy after he saw one of these smokers being towed down the highway. It's a good thing!

Posted by scott at 12:35 PM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2007
Tivo for Real

The new lower-cost HD Tivo has been officially announced. No surprises from the previous "leaked" version, which is good! The biggest "get" to me is the SATA port. According to this article, it's disabled for now, but it should mean extremely easy (and cheap) expansion of the Tivo space. Our very first Tivo was an original 16 hour unit, so I can say with certainty 20 hours will be usable, but tight. However, we've never filled our 40 hour Series 2, so if there's a quick and simple way to (eventually) expand to 40+ HD hours, then we're set.

See, there are advantages to waiting!

Posted by scott at 03:54 PM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2007
Go Granny Go!

Jeff gets a flamin' fast no-prize for bringing us the 75 year old grandma with the fastest internet connection in the world. Yeah, it's a publicity stunt to advertise new equipment, but as long as it works, why not?

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2007
Tivo Lite

Those of you with HD sets jonesing for an HD Tivo won't have to pay $800 for the experience for very much longer. This one's a real biggie for our house, as we've been Tivo nuts for something like eight years. We're also planning a complete HD re-vamp of our main TV setup for Christmas. If the new box includes an eSATA connection, adding space is stoopid easy, so that may very well be the way we go. Otherwise, well, it's nice to also see that more options may be on the way and that the main "super" box can be found for slightly less.

All in all, a good (even great) thing!

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
July 18, 2007
Dinos on the Way

The American tour of Walking with Dinosaurs - the Live Experience is starting this month! 6 dates in our area, and they've got many stops on the tour all over the US and Canada. Amex card holders can purchase tickets now, general sale is next week. Woot!

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
July 17, 2007
City Stats

Cindy gets a no-prize as thick as an encyclopedia for bringing us city-data.com, which seems to be a massive compendium of data about every locale (that I thought to search for) in America. A truly mind-boggling amount of stuff, both trivial and important. Search yours today!

Posted by scott at 10:23 AM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2007
Ethanol Update

Making the rounds: a construction permit for the first plant that will make ethanol from cellulose has been issued in Georgia. If it comes on line as expected in 2008, millions of gallons of the stuff will be available, all produced from much more efficient and easier to find cellulose (which all plants have) instead of sugar (which hardly any plants have). Article includes an absolutely priceless "completely and utterly doesn't get it" quote about peak oil.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
July 12, 2007
~ Someone's Bridge is Falling Down / Falling Down / Falling Down ~

Joshua gets the prestigious Steve Austin no-prize* for bringing us this great super slow-mo sequence of a bridge being demolished. To me it really does bring home that demolition charges are used to cut, not destroy, when taking things down.

---
* It's a reference. Go look it up!

Posted by scott at 01:38 PM eMail this entry!
July 11, 2007
A Sub, for the Rest of Us

Ron gets a no-prize for the bath tub for bringing us detailed descriptions of what rich boy toys are like nowadays. Meh, if it keeps a few dozen people employed doing something they like, why not?

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
Barn Find Redux

Remember the huge cache of old cars found stuffed in a barn in Portugal? Turns out there's more to it than that. Even if the original story of a guy buying a plot of land and finding a welded-up barn full of cars on it is a legend, the truth that an old eccentric is sitting on them for no well-articulated reason is just about as interesting. Reminds me of Walter Soplata, albeit on a more human scale.

Posted by scott at 10:42 AM eMail this entry!
July 10, 2007
Well Hello There

When we want to announce a new submarine or carrier, we have big pompous celebrations, complete with bands and champagne S&M. The Chinese just park their stuff outside and wait for someone to notice. According to various comments both on the site and (albeit with a great deal less sophistication) Slashdot, the Chinese are more or less trying to see if they can actually build one of these things. Operational capability is unknown but the Navy sounds pretty confident it can deal with these things should they ever venture out of their home port.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2007
Megasynch

What is it with Koreans and massive synchronized performances? This time it's South Korea, so perhaps this is some sort of attempt to better their loony hermit neighbors?

Posted by scott at 10:05 AM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2007
I R Amerikun

Finally an on-line test I can ace. Unlike basically all the others, there's no way any of you monsters can outscore me this time... only tie, at 100%. Muhahahahah!

Via Yourish.

Posted by scott at 10:37 AM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2007
Paging Ernie, White Courtesy Phone Please

Thousands of rubber ducks who've been drifting at sea for more than a decade are scheduled to make landfall on the UK some time this year. The long-trekking tub toys started their journey in the Pacific when the container they were stored in broke free in a storm and released them. Ocean currents then swirled them north, where pack ice gradually pushed them through their very own northwest passage. Some of the outliers have already made landfall on various North American coasts, but the bulk are predicted to arrive in South West England some time later this summer. Surprisingly, this plasticized voyage has provided a great deal of valuable information on ocean currents.

Posted by scott at 11:55 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2007
Bit by Bit

While only a journalist could imply a picture which required access to a 25" reflector "simple," the resulting picture of the International Space Station are still quite impressive.

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 07:13 PM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2007
Coming to a Roller Rink Near You

Micro-mini car maker SMART will soon be offering their cars for sale in the US. With a starting price of around $14,000, it's the first time in decades that a European car costing less than my yearly salary has made its premiere on these shores.

Posted by scott at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
June 16, 2007
Sing, Till Your Lungs Give Out

Looks like the Opera Amateur is for real. I don't know how long his time in the spotlight will last, but he sure is fun to watch.

Right place + right time + right talent = profit, indeed.

Posted by scott at 01:10 PM eMail this entry!
BeepBeepZipBANG!

Scientists have successfully tested a scramjet design at Mach 10. From what I recall of a more detailed AW&ST article, they're going to test several of these over the coming weeks. They're all throw-aways, designed to send telemetry back and then crash into the sea. That whole, "New York to Tokyo in four hours" thing? Yeah, this'll be what powers it.

Posted by scott at 12:59 PM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2007
... and Then There's Reality

I'm still having a little trouble believing this is a for-real brush painting and not a photoshop, but the illustrated steps make it seem at least possible. I wonder if such realism could be obtained when not working from a photograph?

Posted by scott at 11:32 AM eMail this entry!
That's One Way to Do It

Keyboard all icky? Stick it in the dishwasher. That it would survive is not completely surprising, since it's just a lump without any electricity. The most important thing is to wait a very long time to ensure it's completely dry inside before hooking it up.

Posted by scott at 09:11 AM eMail this entry!
June 12, 2007
Testify!

Sometimes Dennis Miller can be an obtuse reference freak who talks too fast. But when he's on point and on message, watch the hell out.

Posted by scott at 12:55 PM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2007
I KNOW THIS PATH!

MURFREESBORO, Ark. -- Walking along a path taken by thousands of others at the Crater of Diamonds State Park, Nicole Ruhter noticed something everyone else had missed -- a tea-colored, 2.93-carat diamond.

This place is a must if you visit Arkansas.

Posted by Ellen at 10:26 PM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2007
Top 10 Weirdest Toilets

No really it's cool!

Posted by Ellen at 09:46 PM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2007
Insert McGruff Reference Here

Ron gets a no-prize that looks best in a lab that uses ridiculously dramatic lighting for bringing us the latest "CSI-like" deployment of DNA forensics, pet DNA analysis:

“There’s some real serious cases where animal DNA played a role in helping solve the case,” said Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, a DNA expert who has asked investigators to collect DNA samples from murder suspects’ pets at crime scenes. “I believe that it will be used more and more.”
...
Wictum’s lab handles between 150 and 200 cases a year from all over the world. But scientists don’t just deal with pet-on-pet attacks. They process evidence from cases involving animal attacks on humans, human attacks on animals, and even human crimes against each other in which an animal may yield important clues.

If it means more scientific ways of catching scumbags, I'm all for it. Your dog wants a test tube kit!

Posted by scott at 12:54 PM eMail this entry!
Hang 10 and Hang the F--- On

While this harrowing video is not actually a guy surfing a tsunami wave, it's likely the next best thing. According to various comments, it's most likely off the coast of the Hawaii island, where in places waves can regularly exceed 30 feet in hight. Narly!

Posted by scott at 10:00 AM eMail this entry!
May 31, 2007
Fish Trackin'

This sounds pretty neat:

Aquarium workers placed RFID readers on the front of a "Living Fossils" exhibition tank. When the fish move within range of RFID readers, information about the fish pops up on a touch-screen display. Visitors can use the touch-screen computers to find out about each species' name, diet and characteristics

I wonder how hard it would be to implement some sort of tracking with that system? Sometimes aquarium tanks are so big the fish you're looking for is nowhere to be seen.

Via Siflay.

Posted by scott at 10:25 AM eMail this entry!
May 30, 2007
The Things You Learn

Whodathunk that a quarter scan of a Playboy centerfold would become an iconic image in photographic processing? As someone who's hobby would literally not be possible without computerized pictures, I can only say, "sal-ute!"

Bah. To paraphrase an earlier post, you wanna make sense, go get yer own site.

Posted by scott at 08:53 PM eMail this entry!
Our Father, Which Art in Planck Space

Could the immortal soul be hiding away in Planck space? There have been several discoveries at the edges of physics that provide eerie hints that there's more to consciousness than can be accounted for by neurons firing. Unfortunately none (that I know of) have provided testable predictions, so they remain just that... strange. Perhaps now things are different? Regardless, science fiction writers (Dan Simmons in particular) have been characterizing consciousness as a quantum standing-wave function for years. It wouldn't be the first time such people were proven right after all.

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
May 25, 2007
Assassin Shrimp

Joshua gets a no-prize that's a crack shot for bringing us this video of the pistol shrimp, a creature that kills with a bullet-like shock-wave generated by its claw.

BANG!!!

Posted by scott at 01:51 PM eMail this entry!
Traffic Time

A new company is offering a car-based GPS system that takes traffic conditions into account when it calculates the best route to your destination. In the DC area it's quite common to have traffic jams at 4 am on a Saturday, so something like this (that works) would be welcome.

Posted by scott at 12:36 PM eMail this entry!
May 24, 2007
Bit by Bit, Putting it together

Joshua gets a no-prize that includes life-like movements for bringing us this quick video of someone building some really incredible semi-robotic life-sized dinosaurs. They've certainly come a long way from those stiff, hissy pneumatic things that were all the rage back when I was in college.

This is apparently a live production in Australia. Let's hope they launch a world tour soon, with at least one nearby stop!

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
Nano Fabric

A company has announced a fabric made of carbon nanotubes that's seven times stronger than steel and conducts better than aluminum. Right now they can make 3 x 1 meter sheets, but hope to make bigger ones next year. Apparently their biggest problem is figuring out exactly how to describe what all it does to people interested in buying it.

Carbon-fiber bike jersey, anyone?

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
May 22, 2007
Fun with Paper

Printable paper models, anyone? Star Trek and Star Wars, by the looks of it. The detail is quite impressive, at least in the photographs. Unfortunately the instructions are in Japanese, although with some concentration it might be possible to suss it out via trial-and-error. All in all, seems to me a fine rainy-day project for a parent and, say, a middle-school aged kid? Seeing as how I don't have one of those (yet), more advanced parents will need to advise. The 10 year old in me certainly thinks it looks interesting!

Via ASFD.

Posted by scott at 03:27 PM eMail this entry!
Repair and Replace

Carrie gets a no-prize with detachable parts* for bringing us this nifty slide show on the work of Robert Barron, the "master of disguises" who makes a living creating facial prosthetics to help the deformed or injured. We've seen documentaries on his work before, but it's nice to know he's still out there and helping.

----
* First one to make a Zappa reference is getting a boot to the head, mmkay?

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
May 21, 2007
Diver Down

The DEPTHX deep-water probe has successfully completed its first mission. The probe, which is funded, designed, and operated by a variety of different public and private institutions, created a successful map of the floor of the El Zacatón Cenote in eastern Mexico. It showed a sloping floor that goes from 270 meters deep at one end to over 300 meters at the other. The discovery means a previous human effort to explore the floor, which resulted in the tragic death of one of the explorers, came within just a few meters of success. It's possible the Cenote connects to other underground caves, an option the team hopes to explore during their next expedition.

While this probe is far too heavy to represent something that could be sent to ice-covered Europa, it's hoped the technologies developed can be applied to a more purpose-built extraterrestrial probe.

Posted by scott at 02:29 PM eMail this entry!
May 18, 2007
Buzz Away! Buzz Away!

Time to get medieval on some insects. I'm not sure I could hit a wall with a catapult that small, let alone (what appears to be) flying insects. I'm sure some if it is CGI, but if any of it isn't... darned impressive.

Posted by scott at 03:18 PM eMail this entry!
May 17, 2007
Money Memorial

Mark gets an uncirculated no-prize for bringing us news of the mint's latest issue. It's a strange sort of memorial, I suppose, but still worthy.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2007
That's Mister Deflated Water Balloon to You, Bub

Fark (of course) linked up the discovery of a species of soft shelled turtle previously thought to be extinct. The Cantor's giant turtle has been found in abundance along a stretch of the Mekong delta in former Khmer Rouge territory. The soft-shelled mud dweller can grow up to six feet across and weigh more than 110 pounds. It also has jaws which can "crush bone", with a long neck and lightning reflexes. Don't touch! Cambodian and international conservation officials are already taking steps to protect the area, as the species has the unfortunate distinction of being an expensive delicacy in neighboring Vietnam.

No, Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 03:37 PM eMail this entry!
Speaking of Halo 3

Joshua gets a no-prize that'll take forever to get delivered for bringing us news of yet another delay in Halo 3's release. This time they seem to be promising it'll be out in September, the 25th to be exact. Tick-tock guys, tick-tock.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
May 15, 2007
Halo Eval

Last Saturday the folks at Bungie unveiled the latest beta for Halo 3. We missed it, but this guy didn't. Is it enough to justify buying a whole console? Can't say just yet, but it definitely is making me think about it.

Posted by scott at 11:42 AM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2007
A Ticket to (Simulated) Ride

The latest attraction at the Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex looks to be a real doozy. Olivia and went on a far more modest "motion simulator" at Udvar-Hazy a few months ago, and while you wouldn't remotely mistake it for actual flight, it was still fun. As if we needed one more excuse to go visit the Cape...

Posted by scott at 01:25 PM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2007
The Next Step

I always key my audio upgrades to major changes in Dolby's consumer home theater offerings. It generally takes them five to seven years to make a real (as apposed to marketing) change to their stuff, so that tends to define my hi-fi upgrade horizon. AC-3 has been "it" since... 1999? 1998? And affordable (to me) since 2002. Sure enough, a new Dolby standard has been defined, right on schedule. If I'm reading it right, they're going to have trouble upgrading this one. Seems it provides soundtracks with the exact same fidelity that the studios use on their theatrical releases.

We are planning a major upgrade of the visual bits of our home theater this Christmas. However, the format wars between blu-ray and HD DVD still seem to be raging, and prices are still quite high. I think we'll get the best damned TV available in our size range (46"), and then wait at least a year or two for things to settle out before starting the next round.

Besides, I only got my high-zoot receiver a year ago. It definitely hasn't run through its depreciation yet.

But it is nice to know there's an upgrade path out there. And those of you who were looking to do an audio upgrade this year? Well, it may well be worth it to hold out until the new stuff is available. It will definitely be worth it.

Posted by scott at 06:09 PM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2007
A Beer Glass, for the Rest of Us

Alls I can say is, For $7.50 per glass, they better darned well make my beer taste better. I dunno... that small base sure looks tip-over-able to me. Olivia can spill things out of old, sealed paint cans. Something like this would seem to me an easy target.

Via Siflay.

Don't forget to check out the Finnish Folk Death Metal video! No, really!

Posted by scott at 02:26 PM eMail this entry!
Say it Ain't So!

If current trends continue, the budget will balance itself some time next year. Which is of course obvious to everyone, seeing as how the media have been emphasizing US economic growth and prosperity, as well as highlighting the downward trend of the deficit. Certainly they've all been talking about how tax cuts really did help the economy and reduce the deficit.

Right?

Posted by scott at 10:09 AM eMail this entry!
May 10, 2007
Alfa Update

As expected, when Alfa Romeo returns to the US it'll be through a network of Maserati dealerships. One of the biggest Ferrari/Maserati dealerships in the country is about four miles from my house. If nothing else, it should mean I'll at least get to look at them in the parking lot!

Posted by scott at 03:52 PM eMail this entry!
May 09, 2007
Tiny Army

Monstrous 1:6 WWII diorama, anybody? I'd love to have that much time, and that much space, to build something like this. Who knows, when it's time for me to retire, I just might. You know, amongst the giant tortoises and homeless tiger cages. Hey, it's Olivia's inheritance, we'll spend it as we please!

Via Countercolumn.

Posted by scott at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
Comin' on Down, for the Last Time

Bob Barker's last taping of The Price is Right will happen soon, so the Washington Post decided it was time to do a detailed retrospective. I, too, am one of those people who simply don't remember a time when Barker wasn't on TV. Hell I'm just old enough to remember him on Truth or Dare. Here's to wishing him well during retirement, and hoping they don't tinker with such a long-running working formula.

The price is wrong, bitch!

Posted by scott at 10:09 AM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2007
Head Up Round Up

As a die-hard shooter and simulator fan, I've been wondering just where the consumer state-of-the-art for HMD (Head Mounted Displays) is nowadays. I need wonder no longer. Eight, ten years ago a $1200 HMD would get you VGA (640x480) resolution. Nowadays it seems they've progressed a great deal, but still have quite a ways to go.

Via Econlog.

Posted by scott at 02:05 PM eMail this entry!
Definitely not for Use During a Coin Toss

Those Canadians are at it again, this time creating a $1,000,000 coin. At 22 inches across and 220 pounds, it's the largest coin in the world. With gold prices so high right now, it's actually worth more in base metal, nearly twice as much, in fact. And hey, it's Canadian money. At today's exchange rate, that gives you about 10% back. What a bargain!

So when you get yours, Mark, be sure to invite us over!

Posted by scott at 08:34 AM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2007
Shall We. Play. A Game?

Global Armageddon, anyone? Personally, any game that supports a "genocide" mode is worth at least a look, in my opinion. Of course, I also think playing Halo with nothing but rockets on with 10 guys on a map meant for 8 is fun.

Dur, thought we already established I need to get out more.

Posted by scott at 02:45 PM eMail this entry!
April 27, 2007
Falling Water

Joshua gets a no-prize that's all wet for bringing us a brief video of the Jeep Waterfall, an amazing computer-controlled fountain that "inkjets" a waterfall to create an image. How this thing has been around for 7 years without me seeing a video about it is beyond me. I need to get out more.

Duh.

Posted by scott at 12:35 PM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2007
Hammerhead: 1, Fisherman: 0

If the family dog steals some food off your plate, he's in trouble. When a fifteen foot hammerhead shark does the same thing to your hard-won tarpon, well, not so much. Ready for a swim?

Posted by scott at 02:56 PM eMail this entry!
April 25, 2007
I Guess They're Useful After All

It's a toy! No! It's an archaeological tool! We never got much use out of metal detectors when I was a kid; however, looking back I have a feeling they weren't useless, they were just cheap. Thirty years of technological progress and a bigger budget will most likely yield better results.

Posted by scott at 12:57 PM eMail this entry!
April 24, 2007
Like a Bird on a Wire

Job I think that's scary but still pretty darned cool # 42: high voltage cable inspection and repair. As impressive as this is on YouTube, it must be freaking spectacular on HDTV. We gotta get us one of those some day.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2007
A Toaster, for the Rest of Us

Well why not build a toaster for your hot dogs? One of Ellen's and my favorite go-to lunches was Esskay-based hot-dogs, until the day we looked at the nutrition label. They were good because they were very bad for you! Nowadays Olivia is distinctly unimpressed with hot dogs, so they're even further down the menu list.

Posted by scott at 03:35 PM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2007
Freakonomics Follow-Up

Fans of Stephen J. Drubner's work will be happy to know a sequel to his best-seller Freakonomics is in the works. I found the original fascinating and insightful, and so can't wait for the sequel to come out. With monkeys!

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2007
Boom! Headshot!

For-real, operational rail gun, anyone? Prototype isn't production of course, but even the promise of being able to fling projectiles around at mach 8.5+ is pretty damned spiffy. With a range rivaling that of cruise missiles, if it does reach production would it herald the return of the battleship? We'll see.

Posted by Ellen at 07:49 AM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2007
Walk This Way

Hey, if installing a complex electronic crosswalk system is what it takes to keep elk and cars apart, I'm all for it. Damned things are huge! I can only imagine what damage they'd do to a high-speed vehicle. Oh, don't worry, I know there are most likely lots of grisly pictures displaying just exactly what happens, but I think I'd rather just imagine, thankyouverymuch.

Posted by scott at 02:10 PM eMail this entry!
April 10, 2007
But What about the Garden? And the Shade?

Got no spine, but it can open a bottle. Unfortunately it appears making a bottle interesting enough for a squid to open it requires placing a lobster inside, which lessens the critter's potential as a beer-getter.

There's also this neat video of an octopus escaping through a 1" hole in the side of a box. Lacking bones comes in handy sometimes!

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
April 02, 2007
End to End

Today's "going from the very very big to the very very small" visualization is brought you by Nikon. I found it a bit leisurely, but clicking the different scale measurements will scoot it along.

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
March 30, 2007
Fooled Ya!

Ron gets a left-handed no-prize for bringing us the top 100 April Fool's day hoaxes of all time. I've only got through the first page, and already it's pretty amusing.

Posted by scott at 03:54 PM eMail this entry!
And I Thought Spinning for 80 Minutes was Impressive

Astronaut Sunita Williams will be running the Boston Marathon this April. The catch? She's doing it on a treadmill on the ISS. Hopefully that whole "peeing on the go" thing that Amber sees when she ran marathons won't be required up there. That would be kinda messy.

Posted by scott at 10:21 AM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2007
Ghetto Big Mac

Yeah no. I won't go to these lengths for one of my favorite sandwiches.

Posted by Ellen at 08:54 PM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2007
Zoom Zoom

280 mph motorcycle, anyone? I get jittery when my bicycle gets above 40 mph. I think I'll give this one a pass.

Posted by scott at 11:36 AM eMail this entry!
Wealth and Happiness

Not all wealthy people spend their money on bling. If government policies created more incentives to give and fewer taxes to take, we'd see a helluva lot more of this. And such money would be far more effective too, since people are much more interested in how their money is spent than government officials ever would be.

Keep that in mind next time you see an article bemoaning how rich the wealthy are, and how only government policy can change it.

Posted by scott at 09:16 AM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2007
OMG!!!

Speaking of OLD kid shows that Scott talks about. Here is my favorite!

You can even check in to see what they have been up to all of these years.

I nearly wet my pants when I saw them on YouTube!

Posted by Ellen at 09:07 PM eMail this entry!
Sanford and Son in Space

Who would've thought selling aerospace junk would be profitable? While it'd be neat to own a full Apollo command module engine, as I recall it's about as big as a car. Meh, I got garage space!

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2007
Mexican Crystal Cave

You have to scroll down to really get the idea on just how BIG this place is!

Posted by Ellen at 07:08 AM eMail this entry!
March 19, 2007
Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Bunch of Guys

Could we finally be seeing the results of an emphasis on humint (human intelligence) in our secret services? The article was linked from Fark, so your mileage may indeed vary, but it is definitely an interesting development.

Posted by scott at 04:14 PM eMail this entry!
On Geeks and Greeks

Reading main stream reviews of 300, I began to suspect that it wasn't the movie the critics didn't like, rather it was its politics. If Neal Stephenson's op-ed is any indication, my hunch was bang-on. And if a Greek anthropologist likes it, it can't be all that bad. Since my motto is "if it gets mixed reviews and looks interesting, it goes on the list," this one has definitely been moved to "on."

Getting it moved onto Ellen's list, well, that's a whole different ballgame.

Via Siflay.

Posted by scott at 02:39 PM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2007
Go Hogs!

I'm such a non-fan of basketball someone else had to tell me the Razorbacks made it to the tournament and have a decent shot at making it to the next round. The line seems to be USC by 2.5, which to me sounds like it could be anybody's game. Pig! Sooey!

Ron making the obvious comment in 3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 02:14 PM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2007
Tastee Time!

Mark your calendars: Thursday is the fifth-annual "Eat a Tasty Animal for PETA (IEATAPETA) Day." While I quite respect the vegans I actually know, I've always found PETA to be grating, puerile, and counterproductive. If poking a fork in a steak will poke a fork in their eye, I'm all for it.

A vegan might counter that celebrating death as a way of annoying an idiotic organization is a bit like dancing around a burning building because I think Scientology's headquarters is tacky. To which I can only say, "gotta match?"

Via TBIOFC

Posted by scott at 03:18 PM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2007
Insert Obligatory, "Fist of an Angry God" Joke Here

Congrats to Mrs. USA for becoming Mrs. World. That's about the most official "MILF" title on the books right there.

Posted by scott at 03:49 PM eMail this entry!
Goin' Down Swingin'

Well, if the car's not worth anything might as well have fun with it. Wouldn't want to be a passenger or a driver once they pick up speed. Professional stunt drivers put roll cages inside their cars for a reason, ya know?

Posted by scott at 09:04 AM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2007
Ants at a Bus Stop

I'm not sure what the purpose of a time-lapse film of a parking lot is, but I found the results to be a bit hypnotic. Must... watch... parked... cars...

Posted by scott at 11:51 AM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2007
Now That's What I'm Talking About

All bow down and worship the ultimate shotgun. That's one mutha-f'in boom right there boys.

Long-time readers will most likely remember we've talked about these monsters before. Something tells me they probably wouldn't be welcome at the local shooting gallery.

Posted by scott at 02:46 PM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2007
Ruined and Lost

While calling ruins you've photographed to be those of "lost" cities seems a bit of an oxymoron, the results are nevertheless quite interesting. Note that if thousand-year-old statue reliefs of people doing sexually improbable things would be NSFW for you, there will definitely be a few galleries here to avoid. Or not, as the case may be :).

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
February 28, 2007
Deep Diving

Fans of deep-sea freaks should find this collection of exotic underwater creatures of interest. Remember folks, Antarctica is also home to the colossal squid!

Posted by scott at 01:56 PM eMail this entry!
Alfa Preview

The UK's Times Online reviewed the latest iteration of the Alfa Spider, and they liked what they saw. Bonus: includes a comparison with the '67 model. As expected, 40 years of engineering progress definitely show. This, by the way, is the type scheduled to appear here in 3 years.

Unfortunately it appears Alfa will be taking a big risk with these models by pricing them with their German and Japanese competition. The quality must be extremely good (for an Alfa, spectacular) otherwise they'll experience the same thing the last time they tried this: a boom in early sales to Alfisti, rapidly trailing off when the limitations of the type become apparent.

We'll see!

Posted by scott at 01:00 PM eMail this entry!
A Launcher, for the Rest of Us

Finally, someone comes up with a useful robot! I mean, an automated vacuum cleaner is a nice idea and all, but it simply doesn't compare to a gizmo that'll fling you a cold one from across the room. The potential for mayhem alone is worth the price of admission.

Posted by scott at 10:37 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2007
Belly Dance Dance Revolution

Joshua and Ellen had another photo shoot day this past Saturday, this time with Ellen pulling out all the costume stops with her belly dance gear. The results, in my obviously unbiased opinion, were very good. Note that while this gallery is SFW, there are other galleries on the site which may not be.

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
February 26, 2007
Chipping the Shell

Sometimes they depart, but sometimes they also arrive. Includes hedgehogs!

Update: No Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 11:35 AM eMail this entry!
~ Plop Goes the Snow Storm ~

Fark linked up this nifty image of what the aftermath of the Feb. 16th snow storm looked like from space. At least Sunday's storm didn't freeze over solid and then stick around for a week. Nothing like having your whole town turned into a hockey rink!

Posted by scott at 09:12 AM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2007
Even Better Than Invisible Ink

Suzanne gets a no-prize she can erase at will for bringing us news of the development of "reusable paper." It'll be interesting to see if they can make this technology competitive with regular paper. Considering the cost of paper is so low right now it's measured in fractions of a penny per sheet, this would seem to be a very real challenge.

Posted by scott at 07:36 AM eMail this entry!
February 21, 2007
Camera Code

Digital shutterbugs in the audience may be interested in this review of Adobe's recently-released product, Lightroom. Our friend Joshua's been using the public beta for some time and is very pleased with it. It seems to be quite a bit more sophisticated than our current photo editing software, so I may just give it a shot.

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
February 20, 2007
Dodge the Dots

While I haven't been able to best Bigwig's 125, I have gotten up to 120. Then again, I only played it three times. It's a rare game that can be grasped immediately and still be complex and fun. This one reminded me very much of maneuvering in a shooter puzzle. If that last sentence made sense to you, a copy of the NERD sign you just handed me is in the mail.

Via Siflay.

Posted by scott at 02:23 PM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2007
Garbage in, Power Out

" When such a man tells me I’m perfectly safe from a 30,000˚F arc of man-made lightning heating a vat of plasma that his employees are “controlling” in the next room—well, I’m not completely reassured."

Lane G. gets a no-prize shaped like an arc light for bringing us this detailed article about what could begin chewing up a landfill near you some day.

Posted by scott at 12:29 PM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2007
Beats the Hell out of a Shot

I didn't even know you could get a flu vaccination with a nose spray, let alone that it's 55% more effective than a flu shot on children. Olivia's first year was miserable all around, with everyone constantly sick. Two plus years later, and we've been quite fortunate at being relatively bug-free. Well, I guess I should say bug-resistant, because it's normally our friends who end up with the colds and flu. Maybe the immune system is like a muscle... use it, it gets stronger.

Perhaps it's nature's way of ensuring that, once a child gets past their first year, the germ vector in Keds won't kill their parents.

Posted by scott at 02:38 PM eMail this entry!
Mobile Suit Gundam Gramma

Coming soon to an assisted living home near you: powered suits for the elderly. If successful in Japan, it'll be interesting to see what, if any, regulatory roadblocks are thrown up to keep this thing out of the US.

Posted by scott at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2007
Can I Get a Geeky Whoop?

After tinkering on and off for about two months, I finally got a new toy set up on the network. I am now basking in much SNMP goodness. Like a chimpanzee that's found a gun in the jungle, I'm not quite sure what to do with it, and am pretty sure it might be dangerous, but it definitely does something and if I figure out which way to point it it's gonna rock.

I've tried to get these fancy SNMP widgets to work probably three, four times in the past ten years. Never did get much out of them, most likely because they're extremely powerful tools by geeks for geeks and therefore require a ton of learnin' to leverage them. It'll be interesting to see if I'm able to dedicate enough to make it stick this time.

Free software running on already-paid-for hardware. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 03:37 PM eMail this entry!
February 13, 2007
Boom! Here Comes the Boom! / Ready or not!

Mark gets an amazingly cool no-prize for bringing us this nicely graphic presentation of why one shouldn't let alkali metals interact with water. The producers of the show get bonus points for the eye candy and the "scientists" scampering for cover behind earthen berms. Makes the Mythbusters crew look rather more stand-offish.

If my high-school chemistry class had involved more explosions like this I probably would've done much better in it.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2007
Everybody's Got to Have a Hobby, I Suppose

Ellen actually had someone make an impressive Etch-a-Sketch at her workplace a few years ago, but that's got nothing on this. I don't spend 80 hours on things I like. Talk about your concentration...

Posted by scott at 01:26 PM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2007
Tellling it Like it Is

The more things I read about Milton Friedman, the more I agree with him. In that article especially, it's every single one.

Posted by scott at 12:20 PM eMail this entry!
Tiny Turbine

Slashdot linked up the announcement of a (potentially) working turbine that's only 1 mm in size. They haven't quite built it yet, but it sounds like they're damned close. Such an engine can be used to power a variety of different devices much more efficiently than current battery technologies. If it pans out, these turbines will most likely represent a technological "discontinuity" between this century and the previous one.

Posted by scott at 09:04 AM eMail this entry!
February 08, 2007
And the Car Goes, "Vroom Vroom, Mutha-******"

First Merlin aircraft engines, now monstrous tank engines. Where does the madness end?!? And when do I get to drive?

These sorts of motors produce gobsmacking amounts of torque, but are relatively low on the hp scale, especially for their weight. It'll make a nice tractor pull rig (in fact, at least back in the early 80s, these sorts of motors were de rigueur at said pull events), but in a car? Not so much.

Still, I wouldn't turn down the keys.

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2007
Paging Mr. Roboto, White Courtesy Phone Please

What I want to know is, if they can now make a robot that can roller-skate, why can't they make one that'll clean up my damned house? C'mon folks, gimme something useful!

If it scares the cats, even better!

Posted by scott at 03:46 PM eMail this entry!
Alfa CX'ing Over

Looks like the latest entry in the burgeoning "crossover" vehicle class is the Alfa Romeo CXover. If it turns out looking anything like the illustration, it'll be a damned fine looking vehicle. Unfortunately, at ~ $36,000 base price, it'll also most likely be well out of my price range. Maybe I'll be able to pick up a used one a few years later...

Posted by scott at 01:09 PM eMail this entry!
February 03, 2007
Baby Rock Records

Lullaby versions of your favorite rock songs.

Sample: listen to this one and GUESS WHO IT IS!

Posted by Ellen at 08:29 PM eMail this entry!
January 30, 2007
Wiki Weirdness

But, but, it's so... unusual!

It just doesn't feel right if we don't link up one bizarre thing a day. If we were more normal you wouldn't come around as much!

Posted by scott at 03:35 PM eMail this entry!
That's My Girl

Shutterbugs Ellen and Joshua got together over the weekend to play with the light rig I got her for Christmas. I think the results were quite impressive. Then again, I'm a wee bit biased.

Note: All Ellen pictures are SFW, but the site does contain some artsy-not-quite-safe shots elsewhere. In blue and red, even.

Posted by scott at 01:17 PM eMail this entry!
January 29, 2007
Happy Day!

From the department of, "It's Our Calendar, We'll Do What We Please with it" comes news that today is Milton Friedman day. If you don't know who this guy is, this is a great way to start learning. Considering how influential he has been, you should.

Posted by scott at 04:13 PM eMail this entry!
And That's the Way It's Done

Strap in and hold tight for this in-car view of road racing done very, very right. You might think he has some sort of horsepower advantage, but pay close attention... he only gains ground around the curves and under braking, which is how it's supposed to work. If this doesn't make your heart beat just a little faster you're probably not paying attention.

Posted by scott at 03:06 PM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2007
Whodathunkit?

You know the Bible 80%!
 

Wow! You are truly a student of the Bible! Some of the questions were difficult, but they didn't slow you down! You know the books, the characters, the events . . . Very impressive!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

Not too shabby for a Buddhist who's last church-taught bible lesson was 30 years ago. Not as good as Mark, but I'll take it :).

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2007
~ Bit by Bit, Putting it Together ~

Ron gets a no-prize that's way more trouble than it's worth for bringing us this photo journal of one man's efforts to restore 1938 Chevy business coupe. Hey, if I had that much shop space I'd be doing things like that too. Hell, maybe one day I will.

Posted by scott at 08:42 AM eMail this entry!
January 22, 2007
Finders Keepers

No, really, I found it washed up on the beach! Hey, man, if you're going to make off with something as valuable as a BMW motorbike, might be a good idea to make sure nobody sees you, eh? Reminds me of those looters in LA who'd look up and wave at the TV helicopters. Smile for the mug shot!

Posted by scott at 01:42 PM eMail this entry!
Mynd you, mřřse crashes Kan be pretti nasti

Joshua gets a no-prize smashed into very scientific bits for bringing us this look at Volvo's new crash test center. Think of an upscaled atom smasher, with cars as the atoms. Oh, and it seems nearly every part of the thing is mounted on air bearings, allowing it to be reconfigured at will.

As I understand it, the auto industry shares safety research data, so things discovered here will potentially help us all, even if we don't buy a Volvo.

Wi nřt trei a hřliday in Sweden this yër?

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2007
I Hear a Solution

Slashdot linked up news of a robotic sniper detector. By combining technologies from sources as diverse as hearing aides and video games, an entrepreneur has created a robot able to identify the direction, location, and type of weapon fired, just by the sound it makes.

Posted by scott at 08:42 AM eMail this entry!
January 17, 2007
And the Lake Goes, "Glug Glug Glug"

A few years back we linked up the remarkable story of the Lake Peigneur disaster, wherein a careless drilling operation allowed an entire lake to drain out through a salt mine. Now we can show you some video of this amazing event. "Cool" only because, miraculously, nobody got hurt.

Posted by scott at 03:03 PM eMail this entry!
January 15, 2007
An Explosive, for the Rest of Us

Joshua gets a no-prize packed in a slow-release mechanism for bringing us this demonstration of thermite. Especially instructive was its ability to burn clean through a car engine. Who knew?

Posted by scott at 08:14 AM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2007
Got Gear?

Instapundit linked up this quick look at the "sex tech" featured at the Adult Entertainment Expo at Las Vegas. Somehow I just wasn't surprised that a Japanese company came up with something called "Virtual-hole and Virtual-stick".

Posted by scott at 03:39 PM eMail this entry!
Feed the Tree

While the accompanying text didn't make a helluva lot of sense to me, the pictures of the trees are still quite remarkable. This site presents a much more comprehension-friendly account of the trees and their ultimate fate.

Posted by scott at 11:56 AM eMail this entry!
Simpsons-san!

Carrie gets a weirdly attractive no-prize for bringing us an alternative look at the Simpsons. Turns out Marge actually is hot.

Nearly as interesting is the lady's take on Futurama. She can even draw in the other direction.

Doh!

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2007
Turtle Time

Looks like one of Om's cousins isn't as extinct as previously thought. Well, extinct in Thailand, at any rate.

Our own chelonid is doing fine, still in his best, "if I had arms I'd throw rocks at you to get you off my lawn" miniature-old-man mode, and growing like a shell-encased weed. Maybe we can get Ellen to post some pictures soon...

Posted by scott at 01:44 PM eMail this entry!
Definitely Gotta Get Me One of These

Fresh & spicy from this week's CES show: a 108" LCD television. The post gets extra points for the smarmy gen-x reporter trying to sound superior while wiping the drool off his chin. Hey bud, you ever heard of the term "corporate use"?

Posted by scott at 08:59 AM eMail this entry!
January 10, 2007
Result List

It's sometimes easy to forget just how many things have been tested on everyone's favorite practical science show, Mythbusters. That is, at least until you see the complete list of all their results. I'd actually got the one about "talking to plants" wrong. I thought it was busted, but turns out the plants seemed to like loud death metal best of all.

Posted by scott at 12:39 PM eMail this entry!
Seeking the Past

Nina gets a well-documented no-prize for bringing us news that Britain's National Archives has released digitized versions of thousands of passenger ship manifests. For now the set covers 1890 - 1900, but the plan is to make all these records available up to 1960. If you know the name of the great-great-grandparent who came over on a ship, you might be able to find it here.

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
January 08, 2007
Back to Baghdad

Intrepid blogger/journalist Michael Yon is back in Iraq, this time hoping to embed with the US military for all of 2007. A must-read for those who'd like a view different from that of the stringers who bring the MSM-types hiding out in the Green Zone their daily dose.

Posted by scott at 03:44 PM eMail this entry!
Now Ellen Really Can Be Empress

Everyone's favorite loony outpost on the sea is now for sale. I've followed Sealand on and off ever since I learned about the remarkable little "fort that could" a few years ago. A lot of noise has been made about it being the perfect data haven, but that appears to have gone nowhere.

Anyone got a few hundred million to spare?

Posted by scott at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
January 07, 2007
Today's Moment of Zen

I'd dearly love to know how they got this shot. If I look hard enough, I imagine I will. Yet somehow, I really don't want to know. There's not enough magic in the world.

Ellen and I both find it powerful, for the same, and also different, reasons. Only a few of them are obvious.

Via Ashes and Snow.

Posted by scott at 08:19 PM eMail this entry!
January 05, 2007
American Pie Overload

God bless Wikipedia, without which I would never have known of all the many and elaborate interpretations of that unlikeliest of hits, Don McLean's American Pie. A very few of the analogies I already knew about, but a great many I did not (never knew it actually referred to Altamont, for example). Oh be quiet. Trivia is fun!

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2007
Diamond Find

Ellen had fun crawling around in the steaming Murphreesboro muck even when she didn't find anything. I have no idea how she would've acted if this had happened. Next time we make it out there Olivia will be more than old enough to be an enthusiastic participant. Me, I think I'll watch from the grass.

Posted by scott at 02:37 PM eMail this entry!
Twins Teaching

How we missed Tivo-ing it I don't understand, but at any rate it appears the remarkable conjoined twin duo Abby and Brittany Hensel had a new documentary made about them, covering events surrounding their 16th birthday. All is not lost, however, with this YouTube 8-minute excerpt from the end of the film and this shorter segment from perhaps somewhere in the middle. From all appearances they seem to be doing extremely well, and (if I'm understanding the dates correctly) only a year away from graduating high school. This is actually very good news, as the previous documentary covered some high-stakes surgeries and ended on a somewhat dark note.

Now that I know it's out there, I'll make sure we catch the whole thing next time around.

Posted by scott at 12:39 PM eMail this entry!
Alfa Racing News

More details are emerging about Alfa's new racing efforts. As I expected, they're going to try for the big endurance races, which includes the 24 hours of Daytona. Definitely something to watch out for.

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
January 02, 2007
~ Darling it's Better / Down Where it's Wetter / Take it From Me ~

Shutterbugs in the peanut gallery with an interest in underwater photography should find this collection of "life beneath the waves" photos interesting. There were a couple of critters I had to look twice at just to make sure which way they were pointing.

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
December 28, 2006
It's Cloud-er-riffic!

Fark linked up this amazing collection of "lenticular" clouds. We don't have mountains tall enough, near enough, for us to see things like this (as far as I know anyway). I can only imagine what it must look like in person.

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
December 27, 2006
A Weapon, for the Rest of Us

Fark linked up this supposedly "revolutionary" weapon system. Using a combination of well-understood techniques, the DREAD weapon claims to fire over a hundred thousand rounds per minute with no heat, report, or recoil. I find it more than a bit strange that they didn't actually show more footage of the prototype in action. Makes me think perhaps it really isn't all that and a bag of chips. But if it'll saw Hajji in half faster and more efficiently, I'm all for it.

Posted by scott at 08:59 AM eMail this entry!
December 23, 2006
Speaking of Alfas...

Looks like Alfa will be returning to endurance racing for the 2008 season. Watching them will probably be as close as I can get to the 8c, so here's to successful racing! Other articles also mention a "significant American effort" in motor racing. Assuming they don't break into NASCAR* or some open-wheel series, I imagine it means they'll be running the 8c in the American Le Mans series. If so, I may actually get to see one in person!

------
* Hey, it could happen! It could! And that crack about monkeys flying out of my butt is not funny!

Posted by scott at 03:55 PM eMail this entry!
Would You Like to Play. A Game?

Also from slashdot, this stroll down video game memory lane. The hook? Each system featured, from the original Atari Pong right up to Sony's PS-3, has at least one contemporary commercial you can view right in the article. Yes, Virginia, there was a time when two paddles and "boop" was considered one helluva thing.

Posted by Ellen at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
December 20, 2006
Bigwig, Pt. 33 & 1/3rd

Congratulations go out to longtime blogger Bigwig over at Siflay Hraka at the announcement of a new addition to the family.

No, The Grammas, you can't have another one.

Posted by scott at 02:23 PM eMail this entry!
December 19, 2006
Of Tall Tales, Fish Stories, and World War III

Fark linked up this first-person account of how a "spring cleaning" event at an Air Force base nearly triggered WWIII. My dad, who worked with Titan missiles in the early 60s, has a similar story (although his involved a shorted out alert board), which makes me think these things happened far more often than anyone realizes.

It's a wonder we're still around, no?

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2006
Japan FAQ

While I'm not sure about the accuracy of every question in this Japanese "SAQ", there are enough interesting entries to make it worth reading.

But if it's OK with everyone else, I don't think I'll be asking a beggar on the street to pinch me.

Posted by scott at 08:39 AM eMail this entry!
December 14, 2006
A Time, a Place, a Purpose, for Everything

Well, there could be worse things than spending your time rescuing dolphins. Then again, there are probably better things than spending your time reaching half-way into a sick fish-eating machine. I'm just not sure.

Posted by scott at 11:47 AM eMail this entry!
December 13, 2006
Stop Motion Music

Slashdot linked up this remarkable video production in which someone who does not know how to play the piano or drums uses both to create a very catchy pop tune. His secret? Record each note and drum beat separately, one at a time, and use video editing tools to "stitch" it all together.

I've worked with video editing before. This is actually a lot harder than it looks, and that's saying something.

Update: what appears to be a follow-up is just about as good. Staggering, really, how creative we are as a species. Oh, and no more complaining about me needing a hair cut, capice?

Posted by scott at 08:48 AM eMail this entry!
set HEART COCKLES = Warm

Mark gets a sappy no-prize wrapped in tinsel for bringing us this very nice Christmas story. No doubt it's some sort of urban legend, but even if it is at least this one has a nice ending.

Posted by scott at 08:07 AM eMail this entry!
December 08, 2006
The Body Gallery

These are possibly the BEST tattoo artists I've had create designs for me.

I have a new, rather large (OK very large) tattoo in progress of being sketched out.

This is the same group who introduced me to Jed, who tattooed Ted on me.

Check them out! Amazing studio, talented people, and a fun place to hang out for 5 hours plus!

Posted by Ellen at 09:35 PM eMail this entry!
A Farking Linkfest

This morning Fark, amazingly, had a whole passel of links worthy of attention:

Three hours worth of posting in a single entry. I think I'm going to lie down for awhile now...

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
Biblical Burial

Vatican officials are now reporting the remains of St. Paul may have been found. The Vatican is traditionally apposed to destructive testing, like those done for radiocarbon dating. I wonder, however, if they'll have the same opposition to non-destructive things like MRIs and X-rays? I'd definitely like to know what's in the box!

Via La Shawn Barber.

Posted by scott at 08:53 AM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2006
Woo! Pig! Sooey!

Congrats go out to Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith for his Heisman trophy nomination. Which we are mentioning only in passing, because there's something way more important going on:

[Third nominee Darren] McFadden, a sophomore, finished the regular season with a school-record 1,558 yards rushing, scored 16 touchdowns and led Arkansas to the Southeastern Conference title game. The running back is the first player in Arkansas history to be named a finalist for the award.

The best part? McFadden's going to be back next year! Go Hogs!

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
A Toy, or a Tool?

A New Jersey mom is creating an innovative present for her son and his unit. What's inside the box? Silly string:

American troops use the stuff to detect trip wires around bombs, as Marcelle Shriver learned from her son, a soldier in Iraq.

Before entering a building, troops squirt the plastic goo, which can shoot strands about 10 to 12 feet, across the room. If it falls to the ground, no trip wires. If it hangs in the air, they know they have a problem. The wires are otherwise nearly invisible.

Whodathunkit?

Posted by scott at 11:42 AM eMail this entry!
And the Battleship Goes, "Glug Glug Glug"

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing efforts to study and preserve the USS Arizona, a war memorial and the grave of more than 1100 sailors. It's estimated the wreck still holds some 500,000 gallons of fuel oil in its remaining bunkers, and scientists want to find out if they can determine when these structures will be in danger of collapsing, and what (if anything) can be done to prevent it. The research should also help in preservation efforts of other shipwrecks all over the world.

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2006
Somehow I Just Don't See This Ending Well

New Scientist is reporting on the development of "live stats" basketball uniforms. By using electroluminescent panels, the jerseys can display the number of fouls a player has, how many points they've shot, how much time is left in the game and how much time is left on the clock. The early tests (in Australia) have received very positive results, but there appears to still be some development left before production units can be made available for sale.

How long it takes one of these things to turn the players themselves into walking billboards I have no idea. Of course, race car drivers have been wearing uniforms that aren't much more than sewn-together sponsor patches for years, and their sports seem pretty healthy.

Posted by scott at 11:51 AM eMail this entry!
December 05, 2006
Gadget Time

Joshua over at Bluelens has been experimenting with various iPod analogs and competitors, and has settled (for now at least) on the Archos 404. Those of you who, like me, have never heard of Archos should find his review of the product interesting. Having seen the thing in person, I can say it is definitely a sleek little product. While not on my particular Christmas list, those of you with music, photography, or movie buffs in your life may find this a distinctive choice.

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
The God of Paint

Damion gets a realistic no-prize drawn with crayons for bringing us an impressive demonstration of electronic artistry. Doing something this sophisticated on a tool that simple is just about as impressive as it gets. However, careful observation will reveal he was really hitting the limits of what MS Paint really is capable of. In fact, if I hadn't seen so many mistakes get corrected I would doubt it was actually done with Paint.

Posted by scott at 10:27 AM eMail this entry!
December 01, 2006
FahrFromSleddin

Fark linked up Volkswagen's new take on the good ol' snow sled. For $60-$120, they better freaking fly.

Posted by scott at 08:54 AM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2006
Paging Carlos Mencia, White Courtesy Phone Please

The Mexican government has unveiled the largest millimeter-band radio telescope in the world. There are a whole bunch of half-formed deeply inappropriate jokes jumping around in my head right now, but I won't let them out.

Sort of like, you know, beans?

Posted by scott at 01:17 PM eMail this entry!
November 29, 2006
Oh Hell... And Santa Got O a Fur Real Pony...

mini pony.

Notice... this pony looks like a warthog, but is not a warthog. It just looks like one.

Posted by Ellen at 09:08 PM eMail this entry!
A Mustang, for the Rest of Us

Looks like it really is possible to have a classy Ford, if you get the right people to work on it.

Nah, just kidding. Mustang ain't my cup o' tea, but I got nothing against it or Fords in general. Others might (will) disagree, but it's all good. I do have to admit the longer I look at this one the more I like it.

Posted by scott at 02:04 PM eMail this entry!
Speed Golf

Fark linked up this collection of high-speed films. Yeah, they're basically a kind of viral advertisement for everyone's favorite swoosh, but hey, they're smashing things!

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
November 27, 2006
Insert Austin Powers Reference Here

Lasers are now extremely common, even cheap, and found in just about every household in America. Of course you know, this means war. Or at least some dangerous tinkering. And what's wrong with that?

Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
November 26, 2006
Whoa Oh Oh It's Magic...
Posted by Ellen at 05:42 PM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2006
Gearing Up

Slashdot linked up news of new developments concerning the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient Greek computing machine whose sophistication would not be matched by Europeans for a thousand years. By using new high-resolution X-ray techniques, scientists have uncovered even more detail on how the thing actually worked, including tantalizing hint that some sort of user manual has been uncovered, buried in the layers of the device. The scientists are understandably (if rather frustratingly) cagey about what it all means. Hopefully much more detail will be revealed once their research paper has been published, apparently later this month.

Posted by scott at 08:09 AM eMail this entry!
November 22, 2006
(Indoor) Diver Down

Diving fans in the peanut gallery should find "the deepest pool in the world" of interest. Water's always warm, no worrying about getting speared by a stingray, and a big steak afterward. Sign me up!

Via Instapundit.

Posted by scott at 10:02 AM eMail this entry!
Pimp Yöur Ridë, Ja?

Ron gets a no-prize that was bitten by a moose* for bringing us this look at some superiorly tricked out Volvos. Performance and bullet-proof reliability. What's not to love?

----
* Mynd you, mřřse bites Kan be pretty nasti...

Posted by scott at 08:28 AM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2006
Ka-BOOM!

Problem: your missiles aren't accurate enough to actually destroy the capitalist aggressors where they live.

Solution: 50 megatons means never having to say you're sorry.

Bonus points to the producers for getting one of those guys with the ridiculous British sing-song delivery style (is there a school somewhere in Cambridge that teaches this?) Also includes a nifty "now-you-see-it, now-you-don't" graphic showing what something this big would've done to metropolitan London.

Posted by scott at 10:02 AM eMail this entry!
November 20, 2006
Insert Homer Simpson Quote Here

Turns out chocolate milk is actually good for you. When I'm sick, I love the stuff, but found out you have to be careful what you pick out. Last time I had a cold, Ellen brought home a gallon jug of the stuff for me. I noticed it had a funny texture, and started reading the ingredients. Imagine my surprise when I realized milk was not on the ingredient list. It was only then we realized it called itself "chocolate drink", not chocolate milk. Just because it's placed in the dairy case doesn't make it milk!

Update: Ron gets a chocolaty no-prize for bringing us this article. Did I mention I don't like Mondays?

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2006
Hand Held History

Fark linked up this website dedicated to old-style hand-held computer games from the 70s and early 80s. I played the hell out of most of the Mattel stuff, and distinctly remember the beeping anarchy that was my grade school classroom before the bell rang. The kids we all envied were the ones who had buttons to turn off the sound... they could play any time they wanted!

Good times, good times.

Posted by scott at 02:00 PM eMail this entry!
You Have 30 Seconds to Comply

Slashdot linked up this "news and video" article detailing the creation of new robotic sentries to be used to protect the Korean DMZ. Combining a sophisticated all-weather sensor suite with a 5.5mm machine gun, these real-life "Robocops" promise to automate what is otherwise a very labor-intensive (not to mention dangerous) job.

I especially liked the commercial "Samsung!" logo on the tripod. Gotta know the sponsors!

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2006
Alfa Update

Autoblog is carrying the latest on Alfa Romeo's upcoming auto plans. The bad: arrival to the US seems to have been pushed back to 2009. The good: new offerings include an SUV-like entry in the $40k range and an "entry-level" hotrod in the $25-$30k range.

Who knows, maybe I'll finally have a full piggy bank by the time they finally show up down the street.

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
Not Just Stupid, Army Stupid

It's great to see there are people out there who can have a sense of humor and be patriotic at the same time. We're not perfect, quite the opposite, but we keep trying. Plus it makes fun of John Kerry. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 12:22 PM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2006
Knock 'em Down

While I'm certain this impressive demonstration of "kinetic art" is as much about editing as it is about construction, the results are still worth watching. If the copyrights are to be believed, this thing may have taken as much as two years to create.

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
Fab Lab

Forget building your own software. It would seem "the next big thing" will be building , well, anything:

Today your all-in-one device prints, scans, faxes and copies. Tomorrow it will cut, score, etch and sew. Want a new dining room chair? You'll design it on a PC and press PRINT, and your personal fabricator will create it for you right before your eyes. Just make sure tray No. 2 has enough wood.

I'd want one to create any part I wanted for any classic car I happened to own. Lord knows what The Grammas would end up with if they got their hands on one.

I really do think that one day whole houses will be built by dumping a 55 gallon drum of goo on a big pile of specially constructed dirt. The nanomachines in the goo will take the elements in the dirt and then two weeks later all you have to do is sweep up as you move in.

I thought it would be something Olivia's grandchildren might get to see in their old age. Now it looks like I might get to see it.

Posted by scott at 08:38 AM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2006
Fun with Fire Extinguishers

I'm surprised MythBusters hasn't tried this yet. They'd probably try acetylene bottles with a dummy on board. Explosions are fun!

Posted by scott at 02:51 PM eMail this entry!
Diving Down

The deepest cave in Britain has been discovered. More like re-discovered, since it appears the site was first found in the late 18th century, but the account was lost and a cave-in disguised the original entrance. At 460 feet deep, it's deeper than St. Paul's cathedral is tall.

Got a rope?

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2006
Tracking, for the Rest of Us

Space technology is finally paying off:

Do you know where your beer is? Dutch beer maker Heineken wants to make sure - so it has put together a team that includes IBM and the University of Amsterdam to track beer by satellite.

Beer Living Lab is a pilot project that will track 20 beer containers shipped from the Netherlands to Heineken's UK distribution centre. Each container will be outfitted with GSM, GPRS and global positioning systems.

"It's twelve o'clock..."

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
November 06, 2006
Ka-Boom!

In the car racing world, this is known as a "comprehensive failure". We ride by a substation even bigger than this nearly every week on our family bike outings. However, if it were sparking and humming like the one in the video The Grammas can rest assured we would turn our little fannies right around and pedal as fast as our feets could spin!

Posted by scott at 12:38 PM eMail this entry!
November 03, 2006
Blocked No More

Congratulations to Mahmood, who, by apparently meeting directly with the ministry heads involved, has gotten his site unblocked by the Bahraini government. Sorta like us having a meet with the chairman of the FCC, I gather. Sometimes small is good!

Posted by scott at 02:14 PM eMail this entry!
November 02, 2006
The Bellagio Fountains got Nothing on This

250+ bottles of Diet Coke. 1500+ Mentos candies. Behold, the glory. You knew someone was going to try it some day. I'm surprised it's taken this long.

Update: Geeze, I've been doing that a lot lately. Link now works.

Posted by scott at 01:56 PM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2006
More Maybach Madness

Ron gets a no-prize that costs more than anyone wants to know for bringing us another website dedicated to the Maybach Exelero. We previously covered the vehicle late last year.

Posted by scott at 12:34 PM eMail this entry!
October 30, 2006
I Find Your Lack of Waterskis Disturbing

I don't care if they ever build it, this "superyacht" is still damned nifty-looking. And since it'll most likely cost five or six times what my house does, my admiration will therefore be from afar.

Ellen, as always, will try to figure out where to put cat boxes.

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
The Air Pen?

Slashdot linked up an innovative use of motion-capture technology. While using pens to "draw" 3-D objects in the air is interesting, if you can't see what you're drawing it would seem to me to be a bit limiting. Sort of like trying to write cursive sentences with your eyes closed.

Posted by scott at 08:44 AM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2006
How You Like Me Now?

Fark linked up an old-but-good demonstration of the SLAMRAAM Humvee project. A rack of AMRAAMS, a jeep, and a drone. It just don't get no better than that.

Posted by scott at 08:57 AM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2006
~ Springy Sidewalk, Bouncy Sidewalk / Dressed in Rubbermaid Gear ~

Both Baltimore and Washington are now experimenting with "rubberized" sidewalks. Made out of recycled tires, the material promises to be more durable over time than conventional asphalt or concrete. Unfortunately it's a lot more expensive, so only time (and testing) will tell if, in the long run, it's actually cheaper than the more conventional stuff. Considering that it seems to take 15 guys three weeks to fix most sidewalks around here, if the stuff actually works it doesn't seem to me it will take all that long to break even.

Via Daffodil Lane.

Posted by scott at 03:41 PM eMail this entry!
It's the Great Pumpkin Special, Charlie Brown!

The Peanuts Halloween special turns 40 today. Olivia was a big fan of the Christmas special last year. It's not Avatar, but if we can snag it on Tivo I'm sure she'll have a great time with the Halloween special too.

Posted by scott at 02:41 PM eMail this entry!
Going Up

Every time you think you've seen the last really cool shot of a space shuttle launch, someone goes and posts another one. After spending 20-plus years flinging DC-8 sized spacecraft into orbit, switching back to minivan-sized capsules just won't be the same.

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2006
False Models

Photography fans in the peanut gallery should find this article on Olivo Barbieri of interest. He's a photographer who uses a variety of techniques to make pictures of actual places look very much like minaturized dioramas. The effect is quite striking.

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2006
You Really Can do Anything with Them

And to think the most sophisticated thing I ever did with Legos was build walls. Sometimes I'm glad Olivia's just into Barbie. Of course, there's always next year.

Posted by scott at 01:35 PM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2006
~ Cos He's White n' Nerdy ~

Slashdot linked up this op-ed discussing everyone's favorite song parodyist, Weird Al Yankovic. While heavy on the effite "weren't things just awful in the 80s?" attitude, it still does a decent job discussing the man and his career.

Posted by scott at 01:51 PM eMail this entry!
I Must Have One, Yes, I must.

Leave it to the land of Monty Python to take a silly but fun sport just one notch past reality:

Southfields must be the only farm in Britain guarded by an armoured car and a 16ft artillery gun (both decommissioned). This is a working farm but, 15 years ago, Stuart Garner decided to try out an extra source of revenue on his family farm's 250 acres. He opened a conventional paintball site in one of the woods, but kept thinking up ways of improving it.

So, he bought an old tactical missile launcher (without a missile) to replicate landing craft assaults on dry land. That went down a treat, so he bought a couple of armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to liven things up even more.

Then, he had another idea. If the general public found it so much fun playing infantry games, maybe they would like to try out a spot of armoured activity, too. How about tank paintball?

Coming soon to a bachelor party near you!

Posted by scott at 11:55 AM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2006
It's About Time for Another Alfa Story

One of our Swedish compatriots took his Duetto "down South" for a tour of his car's homeland, and he has the pictures to prove it.

Sometimes I think it would be a lot of fun to box our Spider up and ship it back to Italy, then tour around the country in it.

Then I sober up.

Hey, if we all make it that far, I can't think of a better way to spend my daughter's inheritance!

Posted by scott at 04:41 PM eMail this entry!
Hey, Nobody said They had to be Stupid

The hobby list is just about too good to be true. She could put "professional cheerleader" in her gaming profile and everyone would likely assume she was a guy.

Posted by scott at 12:04 PM eMail this entry!
Card Trick

As with most card tricks, the obvious solution is wrong. I admire this sort of skill, as I have trouble walking down stairs without killing myself. Ellen can't even manage level ground.

Posted by scott at 08:59 AM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2006
~ Rice Rice Turtle ~

Well, if something happens to one of Om's legs, it's good to know there's a solution:

The 54-year-old pet has a mini air-filled rubber wheel to replace a leg lost to a predator.

The 4x4 style system even has a tiny shock absorber.

Article includes adorable picture of said pet. Not sure what sort of turtle it is, but I'll bet Ellen will know.

Posted by scott at 10:08 AM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2006
Well Waddaya Know

Check out who's #4 on the list of "cities most likely to steal pro sports teams. The Arkansas Cowboys. Now that has a ring to it, doesn't it?

Of course, considering who owns the team and who coached it to two superbowls, you could almost call them that now.

3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 09:56 AM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2006
Movie Time

Now our heads can explode at the same time our stomachs are churning:

Professor Stephen Hawking, Britain’s world-renowned physicist, is to switch from theories of multidimensional space to the three dimensions of the Imax cinema by starring in a film that sets out his ideas on the origins and fate of the universe.

The film, Beyond the Horizon, will tackle some of the most daunting theories espoused by Hawking and other cosmologists, from the idea that space has up to 11 dimensions to the cause of the big bang itself.

As noted in the article, these concepts are notoriously difficult to explain (to mathematical dunces like me anyway) without dynamic visuals to assist. Looks like he's finally going to get some!

Posted by scott at 01:40 PM eMail this entry!
Replacement Review

Slashdot linked up this review of the Sony Reader, an innovative attempt at electronic books. More like re-attempt, as earlier hopes for other technologies have simply not panned out. It finally includes a description of what the display is, how it works, and what it's like. The ultimate verdict seems to be, "close, but not quite."

Definitely not at $300+. If they're eventually able to pull the price under $50, I don't think they'll be able to make them fast enough.

Posted by scott at 11:45 AM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2006
Go Hogs Go!

Geeze, you'd think the Hogs beat the #2 team in their home stadium or something:

In a span of about three weeks, Arkansas' Houston Nutt has gone from the hot seat to the driver's seat.

Who says the winds of college football don't change direction as swiftly as politicians flip-flop on issues come election time?

I can't even find a line on this afternoon's game, which sorta sounds like we're a heavy favorite (according to the article, for the next 3 games).

Of course, the other football-following alumni around my circle are from U-Tenn and Ohio State. Can't thump the ol' chest too hard. Still, it's been a long time since football's been exciting for Arkansas. I'll take what I can get :).

Posted by scott at 02:20 PM eMail this entry!
Moon Shadow

Fark linked up this photo sequence of the ISS passing in front of the moon. Tick-tick-tick-tick like. Very impressive!

Posted by scott at 01:12 PM eMail this entry!
October 13, 2006
Car Fun

Ron gets a really swoopy no-prize for bringing us news of the completion of the first Scarab replica kit-car bodies. Widely considered the prettiest of the front-engined sports car racers popular in the late '50s, it was nevertheless a real handful to drive. I'm pretty sure it's a Scarab that helped make one of the more famous pictures of the Mulsanne straight, shown rocketing down that roadway at over 160 mph with both front wheels several inches off the ground.

Posted by scott at 01:19 PM eMail this entry!
You Know the Soldiers are Going to Teach This Thing to Swear

Slashdot linked up news of field trials of new computer translator technology in Iraq. Unlike earlier attempts, this package promises two-way communication not based on a limited selection of pre-translated phrases. While far from perfect, the system could go a long way toward getting concepts like, "stop and get out of the car, please" across before things get out of hand.

Posted by scott at 10:00 AM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2006
Fun with Maps

Fark linked up this nifty geography game. The catch? You have to come within a certain distance of the city it specifies. Somewhere on the planet.

The first time through I actually did pretty well, getting 8 out of 10 within the distance ring. Not too shabby for an obnoxious American who doesn't think there's a world outside his borders, eh?

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2006
Coin Time

Inveterate coin-collector Mark probably knows all about it, but just in case Fark linked up news that the US mint has announced its 2006 holiday collection. Now, personally, I've always wondered how a government agency can "sell" money for more than its face value, but I'm far from an expert on such matters. They sound pretty neat, at any rate.

Posted by scott at 10:05 AM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2006
Woo... PIG... SOOEY!!!

Congratulations to my old alma mater for a gigantic upset win over #2 ranked Auburn. Even though this one was nationally televised, I still missed it due to a Jimmy Neutron scheduling conflict. Probably for the best, if I was watching it they probably would've gotten squashed like I was expecting them too.

Delusional? Me?

Posted by scott at 01:04 PM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2006
Blammo!

Fark called this "The coolest lightning strike photo ever." It's definitely one of the coolest ones I've seen, dunno about ever. Must've been like having a bomb go off next to you. You'd think getting a sound-powered trigger would work better for stuff like this, but then again lightning's probably too fast for that to work well. Hell, I'm not even sure they make sound-powered shutter triggers for modern digital SLRs. Last time I saw one was in an old Boy's Life issue probably 25 years ago.

Posted by scott at 03:47 PM eMail this entry!
Digital Diving

Ron gets a no-prize he can control by remote for bringing us Bob Ballard's latest plans for another expidition to the Black Sea. This time, broadband connections using Internet2 sites should allow explorers to control the deep-diving robotic subs from thousands of miles away, in real-time.

Posted by scott at 01:43 PM eMail this entry!
Another Gray Lady Down

After 60 years, it appears the WWII-era submarine Grunion has been found. The result of a private effort of one of the captain's descendents, the discovery may help resolve the mystery of what happend to a submarine that got caught up in the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian islands.

Posted by scott at 09:51 AM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2006
Must... Control... Drool...

The Alfa 8C Competizione has been revealed to the public at the Paris Auto Show. And it was good.

No, Ellen, I can't have one.

Posted by scott at 04:13 PM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2006
Gasbag Down

Fark linked up news that the wreckage of the 1930s-era airship USS Macon has been found. The Fark-linked article didn't include pictures, but the Live Science article we're linking does.

From those pictures, it doesn't look as if there's much left to salvage, but you never know.

Posted by scott at 12:43 PM eMail this entry!
We Loves it, Yes, Precious, We Do

Making the rounds: Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, the creative team behind The Lord of the Rings trilogy, are to be involved in an extension of the Halo universe. Just exactly how they'll be involved is a bit unclear, even after reading the article. The results of Hollywood types on gaming has been uneven, so this is no gaurantee of anything good coming out. Still, should be interesting.

Posted by scott at 08:30 AM eMail this entry!
September 27, 2006
Magic Mirror

Slashdot linked up news of the introduction of a "triple-view" LCD display from Sharp. You get three different screens depending on the angle from which you're looking. Which sorta made me blink, until I read the article:

So while driving you can see the GPS navigation your kid at the backseat can enjoy Ace Combat on his PS2 while your wife in the passenger seat checks out tourist sites and restaurants all in full-screen view.

Amazing!

Posted by scott at 02:01 PM eMail this entry!
Bio War

It sounds like some sort of comic book plot line, but apparently Polish doctors used a well-known biological "back door" to save entire villages from the Nazis. Of course, the Soviets were nearly as awful in their treatment of Poland after the war, so who knows if the ruse was used twice?

Posted by scott at 11:42 AM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2006
Down We Go

Spelunkers in the audience should find this discovery of a "vast" new cave complex in California of interest.

My friends and I did a bit of cave exploring when I was in college. But all we had was Devil's Den, which is essentially a muddy crack in the ground. Still, it was fun in its way to sneak around the place at 1 am. Hey, it was dark on the inside of the cave, why not?

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
Flying Fun

Fans of flight simulators should find this view familiar. Except, of course, it's a real plane.

I want one. I want one bad.

Posted by scott at 12:45 PM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2006
Old Soldiers

The Washington Post today carried this front-page article detailing the discovery and repatriation of the remains of an MIA soldier. The catch? He was discovered in France, and died during the First World War. It's thought this is the oldest successfully identified soldier the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) has ever dealt with.

Posted by scott at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2006
Animated Growth

If my statistics and economics classes were like this when I was in college, I might've had a different major.

Yeah, right. At any rate, a very neat look at how the world has grown, and grown more wealthy, in the past forty years.

Via Econlog.

Posted by scott at 12:50 PM eMail this entry!
September 21, 2006
Coming Soon to a Fish Tank Near You?

Ron gets a fishy no-prize for bringing us this MSNBC article detailing the discovery of many new species of coral, shrimp, and fish species made during a survey of the waters of New Guinea.

No, Ellen, you can't have any.

Posted by scott at 09:36 AM eMail this entry!
September 20, 2006
Giving Thanks

Pat gets a no-prize to warm the heart for bringing us this story of the Maine Troop Greeters:

Maine Troop Greeters has about 100 volunteers who operate out of the small room, which is lined with American flags, signed military T-shirts and maps of Iraq. They arrive about three hours before a flight to set out cookies donated by a local Sam’s Club, pies baked by volunteers, and candy and donuts. They also make sure free cellphones donated by local providers are available for troops to use.

Well why not?

Posted by scott at 10:15 AM eMail this entry!
September 19, 2006
Gun Time!

Considering the brand of beer they're using, I can think of no better use than to fire the cans out of a canon to smash into various objects. Beer, canons, things to smash, high-speed film. It just don't get no better than that.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
To Boldly Go...

Pat gets a no-prize with pointy ears for bringing us this Op-Ed by none other than Ron Moore, creator of Battlestar Galactica. Star Trek definitely loomed large in my own house. With a dad who worked in the space program and literally no other SF on TV, it was hard to avoid it. I can't say I took all the same lessons as Moore did (but then again, who does), but I did take a few similar ones.

It's nice to see someone else who remembers it was more than just goofy costumes and bad special effects.

Posted by scott at 09:33 AM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2006
Fun with Cars

If it's weird and it moves, this site seems to have a picture and a description of it. From the Minority Report Lexus to the BMW 600, all and more seem to have their entry. They even have monowheels, although thankfully the one featured in South Park isn't there.

If you have to ask, trust me, you don't want to know.

Posted by scott at 12:23 PM eMail this entry!
Myth Background

Slashdot linked up this CSM article detailing the peculiar relationship the two priniciples of the Discovery show Mythbusters, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, have with each other. Who would've thought Jamie once was a teenage runaway?

Posted by scott at 08:28 AM eMail this entry!
Goin' Down

If this is what it means to be part of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, bring it on:

The recent sharp drop in the global price of crude oil could mark the start of a massive sell-off that returns gasoline prices to lows not seen since the late 1990s — perhaps as low as $1.15 a gallon.

"All the hurricane flags are flying" in oil markets, said Philip Verleger, a noted energy consultant who was a lone voice several years ago in warning that oil prices would soar. Now, he says, they appear to be poised for a dramatic plunge.

What wacky speculation giveth, wacky speculation taketh away. The funniest part will be all the enviroweenies who'll start pissing and moaning when all of their alternative fuel projects dry up and blow away.

Posted by scott at 07:08 AM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2006
Price Point Polka

Nintendo continues to roil the game space waters and confound predictors of its imminent demise, this time with a "leaked" announcement of a launch date and price point. $250, available early November. Can you say, "the next frenzy toy of the Christmas season?" I knew you could.

Posted by scott at 11:32 AM eMail this entry!
Paging Steve Austin, White Courtesy Phone Please

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing real-world efforts at introducing working "bionic" limbs to replace those lost to accidents or disease. It provides the first extensive coverage (that I've read at any rate) of exactly how these systems work, and what it's like to use them.

They still sound primitive, even in prototype form, but something tells me they won't stay primitive for long.

Posted by scott at 08:28 AM eMail this entry!
September 13, 2006
Rate 'em

The digital shutterbugs in the audience should find this list of the top 10 digital cameras owned by Flickr users of interest. Like the site says, it provides an objective, albeit perhaps not statistically correct, review of the types of digital cameras people are actually using.

Posted by scott at 03:47 PM eMail this entry!
More Fun with USB

Slashdot linked up this list of USB gadgets that aren't what you'd normally expect to see attached to a computer. While different from an earlier list we linked up awhile back, it does include a few of the same things. That bottle chiller looks pretty interesting to me.

Posted by scott at 10:22 AM eMail this entry!
September 07, 2006
I Wonder if it'll Survive a Washing Machine?

Slashdot awhile back linked up news that Phillips had created shirts that were self-illuminating, but Fark linked up actual video. First impression: more living science fiction. Second: Doesn't look like it's all that bright, note every shot is very dark. Third: This thing would make for an amazing wet T-shirt contest.

Oink oink oink...

Posted by scott at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2006
Ooh, Ahh... Pretty!

Since it combines no fewer than 5 LCD screens and weighs in at over 200 pounds, I'm not at all surprised at the lack of a price list. Since I needed to ask, I obviously can't afford it.

But it sure does look nice.

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2006
Alfa Update

Car and Driver is carrying this update on Alfa's scheduled return to the US. Most has been reported here before, but the article does include mention of Alfa's planned "Mini-killer", a small 3-door hatchback with a big motor and a revived "Junior" moniker.

Posted by scott at 03:55 PM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2006
Raising an Eagle

WWII ship buffs (you know who you are) may find this story about the fate of the Graff Spee's Nazi insignia. At first the various authorities who think they have jurisdiction over the item seemed content to let the salvage company do whatever they wished with the stuff they dredged up from the wreck. Now, it would seem, at least some folks are becoming more concerned.

Posted by scott at 01:51 PM eMail this entry!
Swirling Savings

Slashdot linked up this detailed, if rather rah-rah, account of the best energy-saver you've never used, the compact flourescent (CF) light bulb. According to the article, Wal Mart is getting into these things in a very big way, and where Wal Mart goes most of America tends to follow.

I bought my first CF in, as I recall, 1992, and paid about $20. Unfortunately it didn't survive my next move, but if it had I think I'd probably still be using it. I was quite shocked the first time I saw a 6-pack at Sams for $12 a few years ago, and they've only gotten cheaper. We've now put them everywhere we can reach where they'll fit and work*, and it's not the savings we noticed. It's the fact that we haven't changed one of them in more than three years that's sold us.

-----
* Two or three of our fixtures use a bulb size which is, as far as I know, unavailable in CF. Those most likely will be replaced soon. Outdoor lights with fancy photosensors won't work with them... something about the voltage I think, not enough to kick-start the bulb. Finally, we have a HUGE fixture in our dining room that holds 7 bulbs. We actually bought 7 CFs for it, but the fixture would only light 3 of them. Again, most likely a voltage thing.

But these are exceptions. If you don't have any of these in your house, I'd highly recommend picking a few up.

Posted by scott at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
August 29, 2006
Old Pictures

It's one thing to read "photography dates back to the early 19th century", it's quite another to actually see pictures taken back then.

Kind of interesting to think we're getting ready to start our third century of photographic imagery. Some of these "new fangled" inventions are getting quite old indeed.

Via ASFD.

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2006
All Spiders, Prepare to Attack Galactica

Bigwig over at Siflay took this nifty "spider and flower" picture last week. Fortunately, the critter is only about the size of a dime!

Posted by scott at 02:27 PM eMail this entry!
Movin' Out

Pat gets a no-prize with wheels on for bringing us this story of how the Egyptian government recently moved a giant statue of Ramses II from a congested square in Cairo to its new home near the pyramids. If Egypt, and Cairo in particular, is anything like I've read, there's a whole family of cab drivers waiting around even now for the statue to make its way back.

Posted by scott at 12:21 PM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2006
Bang!

Joshua gets a no-prize in extreme slo-mo for bringing us this collection of high-speed "bullets shooting through things" films. I don't know if they do it anymore, but as I recall the original high-speed film cameras used a prism to flash the image onto film. The conventional shutter just wasn't fast enough.

Posted by scott at 01:37 PM eMail this entry!
August 22, 2006
Hevrahbody Mus Ge' Stoned!

Stone Pages is a collection of photographs and brief descriptions of many major megalithic structures in Europe. From England to Italy, the authors catalog with personal photographs these enigmatic objects from Paleolithic and Bronze Age cultures of the distant past. They're all monumental proof that, if you give a man enough time but not enough tools, he'll eventually resort to stacking rocks on top of each other. A kind of English country shed, writ large.

Posted by scott at 12:57 PM eMail this entry!
The World's Fastest Schoolbus?

Fark linked up news of a car designed to break the long-standing land speed record for diesel power. Built by (what I think is) British excavator builder JCB, the vehicle is powered by two turbodiesel engines pumping out 1500 horsepower each. It aquitted itself quite well during last week's Bonneville Flats America's National Speed Week (wherein an Alfa Romeo Spider broke a class record), and is expected to smash the diesel record if all things go well.

While 4 mpg is not much in the street car world, that's actually very good mileage for a race car, most of which generally return 2.5 mpg, if that.

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
August 21, 2006
My Kind of Rally

Even though they're gonna ride motorcycles, I'd still try to pedal to keep up:

Topless porn stars on motorbikes will parade down the main street of New Zealand's biggest city, it has been confirmed.

The event called "Boobs on Bikes" has been given the green light by Auckland City Council, despite concerns from some councillors.

Go Kiwis!

Posted by scott at 03:01 PM eMail this entry!
August 16, 2006
Ka-Pow!

Sailboat, meet lightning bolt, lightning bolt, sailboat.

My picture would've been a lot more blurred as I jumped about eight feet in the air from the thunder. The guy must've been using a tripod or something.

Posted by scott at 02:37 PM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2006
Interface Fun

Joshua gets a cool but nerdy no-prize for bringing us this "shape of things to come" video demonstrating a new type of user interface device. The multi-finger approach to touch screens is (as far as I know) new, and may neatly avoid the "gorilla finger" pitfall most common to other sorts of touch interfaces.

It does seem to take up a lot of room, though. And I wonder just how expensive it would be. Still, back in the 70s people thought the mouse and the GUI were too expensive and required too powerful a computer, and look how that turned out.

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
August 11, 2006
When in the Bat Cave...

... do like the bats do:

Fourteen-year-old Ben Underwood of Sacramento, Calif., is one of the few people known to use echolocation as a primary means of navigating the world on land. There's not even a hint of light reaching his brain. His eyes are artificial, but his brain has adapted to allow him to appraise his environment. He makes a "clicking" sound to communicate with objects and people around him.

Turns out it's a pretty low-resolution way for people to learn about their surroundings, but like I always say, "if it's stupid and it works, it's not stupid."

Posted by scott at 01:05 PM eMail this entry!
My Kind of Gadget

Finally, a peltier cooler that does something useful! But I don't know that I want one. I can just see Ellen sneaking up on me while I'm playing a game and dropping it down the back of my shirt.

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
Paging Cher, White Courtesy Phone Please

It may not be able to turn back time, but the "time fountain" will certainly cause you to waste a lot of it. The video is not to be missed!

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
August 10, 2006
The Remarkable Mr. Soplata and his Marvelous Machines

Whilst on my daily lunchtime browse through the good ol' Wikipedia, I was staggered to learn that one of four surviving B-36s is a pre-production prototype that is in private hands. On a farm. In Ohio. To a warbird nut, this is akin to learning there was once a fourth great pyramid that was disassembled in Giza and now sits in a rice field somewhere outside Dumas, Arkansas.

Further research led me to discover the story of Mr. Walter Soplata. For something so, well, weird, there's surprisingly little information out there about him. According to this four-year-old usenet entry, he's an eccentric old farmer who over the years has collected dozens of extremely rare warbirds. As you can see by this even older collection of on-site photos, they're all mostly junk, but they're his junk and he seems quite adamant that they remain his and in that condition for as long as he lives.

If you have Google Earth installed, this link provides the exact co-ordinates to the place. Using that, I was able to find it on Google's maps, but can't figure out how to use that to provide a link. Sure enough, it looks like a gigantic pile of airplane junk, up in northern Ohio.

The things you learn by browsing...

Posted by scott at 01:26 PM eMail this entry!
Owen and Mzee

Remember that tsunami-marooned hippo and his best bud the giant tortoise? They have a blog, and apparently are doing fine to this day. Most interestingly, the blog goes all the way back to Owen the hippo's rescue, allowing you to read about this most odd of couples from day one.

No Ellen, you can't have one. Either of them.

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2006
A "Hole" Town

Everyone knows strip mines are big places. I mean, they're what happens when you turn mountains into lakes. But it doesn't really sink in until you actually see one.

There's a vastly smaller open-pit quarry down the W&OD bike trail. For whatever reason, the builders of the trail made a nice overlook into the main quarry, which is probably a half mile across and maybe a quarter of that deep. Still, quite impressive to see the tiny trucks with their six-foot-plus wheels creeping around like tiny Tonka toys.

I can't imagine what this thing must be like.

Via ASFD.

Posted by scott at 11:37 AM eMail this entry!
August 07, 2006
Ponycar Reply

It's now official (well, sort of), GM will be producing a new Camaro for 2008. No word on whether or not the Firebird badge will be revived at the same time. Looks pretty cool to me, although the versions I'd be interested in would most likely be priced out of my reach. Plus, I have other auto-obsessions which will be reaching these shores around that time.

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
Fun with Vectors

Fans of computer art should find this collection of "photo realistic vector drawings" of interest. Some are better than others, as usual. I'm most impressed by the folks who managed to pull off what I'd call (probably wrongly) "focal length blurring". When you're dealing with art generated from mathematical lines, blurry objects are hard.

Contains one arty NSFW picture under a link.

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
August 04, 2006
Meanwhile, at the Bottom of the Sea

The Nazi aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin has been found. The Russians towed it away at the end of the war and then used it to train themselves how to sink an aircraft carrier. Just for giggles, mind you, no real opponent in mind and thank you for asking.

See? Wasn't just us doing it!

Posted by scott at 03:17 PM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2006
Forgotten London

While I could've sworn we'd linked up London Underground History, I couldn't find evidence for it. With some 40 stations abandoned in various states of disrepair, the Underground is ripe for the kind of spooky exploration that horror and sci-fi novels are often built around. The site includes lots of neat pictures, as well as descriptions of the various "disused" stations.

Just the thought of looking out the window of a subway car and seeing the shadows of a disused station rocket by is enough to give me the chills. SpOoKy!

Posted by scott at 01:11 PM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2006
Liquid Armor

Slashdot linked up this Business Week article detailing a new invention in the personal armor field:

Developed by Norman Wagner, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Dela-ware's Center for Composite Materials, it's a mix of polyethylene glycol, a polymer found in laxatives and other consumer products, and nanobits of silica, or purified sand. Together they produce a "sheer-thickening liquid" that stiffens instantly into a shield when hit hard by an object. It reverts to its liquid state just as fast when the energy from the projectile dissipates.

I bet this looks cool on video. Hopefully it actually works.

Update: Link now works, and a no-prize to Joshua for actually finding a video.

Posted by scott at 09:44 AM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2006
See? They are Good for Something!

Inveterate coin-collector Mark should find this one interesting: "A MAN shot by robbers was saved when a bullet bounced off COINS in his pocket."

Whodathunkit?

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2006
Mo' Bettah' Ice Cream

Pat gets a tasty and slim no-prize for bringing us news of the latest innovations in low-fat ice creams. Relevant to me because just yesterday afternoon I was at the grocery store trying to bring home a healthy treat. We used to like the Ben and Jerry's no-fat stuff, but it was all gone. I walked right past the very brands mentioned in the article without knowing what they were. Doh!

Posted by scott at 12:15 PM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2006
Montreal Madness

Someone with (at last check) more than $17,601 lying around might be interested in picking up an Alfa Romeo Montreal prototype. If the seller is to be believed, it's the second one off the line, with the first still sitting in the museum at Arese. To my knowledge, Alfa is the only car company which regularly let gems like this end up in car lots*, so it's a great opportunity to pick up a nifty bit of auto history.

Plus it's an Alfa, so of course you want it.

----
* Another well-known example is the hand-built Pinninnfarina prototype which WASN'T selected as what would become the 1955 Spider. As I recall, it was discovered sitting in the far corner of a New Jersey used car lot in the late 60s, and has been in private hands ever since.

Posted by scott at 01:17 PM eMail this entry!
Best Story Ever for the "Cool" Tag

Pat gets a frigid no-prize for bringing us news of a most curious recreation park opening:

The largest indoor snow park in the world has opened in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai.

Built on what was previously desert sand, the slopes will be covered with manufactured snow all year round.

Sort of a Wild River Country, but with snow. In the desert. Gotta love the modern world!

Posted by scott at 09:46 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2006
More Alfa News

Autoweek is reporting Alfa will be coming back in 2008 with their 8c supercoupe. At $200,000+, I probably won't be seeing one in my driveway any time soon.

However, the more mainstream 159 3.2 Q4 Sportwagon is also well-received, and scheduled to arrive at our shores in 2010. By which time our existing kidhauler will be about ten years old. Now isn't that an interesting coincidence?

Posted by scott at 05:24 PM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2006
~ It's My Party and I'll Die if I Want to, Die if I Want to ~

Pat gets a no-prize in a casket that's holding a sparkler for bringing us the latest in boomer excess... party funerals:

At a time when Americans hire coaches to guide their careers and retirements, tutors for their children, personal shoppers for their wardrobes, trainers for their abs, whisperers for their pets and — oh, yes — wedding planners for their nuptials, it makes sense that some funerals are also starting to benefit from the personal touch. As members of the baby boom generation plan final services for their parents or themselves, they bring new consumer expectations and fewer attachments to churches, traditions or organ music — forcing funeral directors to be more like party planners, and inviting some party planners to test the farewell waters.

My religion tends to advocate things like tossing the body off the edge of a cliff and then watching the vultures party. Considering the squeamishness of modern westerners, and their oh-so-proper "zoning laws*", this is probably as close as I'll get.

Which is not really a bad thing. Funerals tend to be the last thing to bring a grown-up family together. Why not get hammered and play goofy games? Hell, if it's good enough for the Irish, it's good enough for me!

-----
* I mean, really... just when someone's got a really great opportunity to help people ponder the impermanence of life, someone else has to go ruin it with, "oh God what a smell!" and, "do you have any idea what having your husband rotting at end of the development is doing to property values?!?"

Priorities people, priorities!

Posted by scott at 07:59 PM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2006
~ Because it's Only a Turbulent Moon... ~

Wandering around for no reason I found this nifty photo sequence of what things really look like through a big, but still amateur, telescope. Jeff has a telescope at least as big as this. I wonder if it still acts as a doorstop?

Posted by scott at 09:37 PM eMail this entry!
July 18, 2006
~ I Was [Virtually] Strolling in the Park One Day ~

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing the invention of a new kind of shoe which will allow you to "virtually" walk around computer-simulated environments. Personally it sounds like a new and creative way for me to bust my ass. This is not always a bad thing... like most guys to me getting injured while playing a game is part of, well, guy-ness. I guess anything that gets us closer to full-on holodeck experiences is a good thing.

Lord knows how much it'll cost.

Posted by scott at 01:35 PM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2006
New source of Vodka

A certain tall and now less hairy member of the 'Good Food, Bad Movie' crew will likely find this interesting. New England farmers are increasingly turning thier potato, maple sap, and apples into the drink of the gods.

Oddly enough, grapefruits weren't mentioned, much to everyone's chagrin...

Posted by ron at 11:37 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2006
Alfa finals confirms the US return

I know Scott's been talking about it non-stop, but it appears that Alfa is now officially confirming its return to the US. Scheduled for 2009, they plan on having several versions available (the 159, Brera, and Spider appear to be definite). On an odd note, though we're seeing confirmation from a number of sources, their official website didn't have anything.

I'll leave it up to Alfa-Boy to bore educate us on the various in's and out's of the models, including which one he's currently salivating over and saving for.

After some revives him, that is.

Posted by ron at 02:05 PM eMail this entry!
Troy Aikman HOF* teleconference

What - you thought I'd let this opportunity to post a link about Dallas on AMCG? Silly, silly person...

Troy Aikman held a teleconference with the national media to discuss his upcoming Hall of Fame (HOF) induction. His career numbers and the impact that he had on the Cowboys during the 90's, is without equal - three SB wins in 4 years is an amazing accomplishment, to say the least.

On top of this, he's definitely a class act, as evidenced by his comments, but in particular, when asked about the Triplets, he replied:

I'm glad you asked about that. And, you know, I said it when I retired, that that moniker for us, it was something I was always extremely proud of. And I was proud to be a part of that group and with those guys, and our relationship is very strong. It was when we played. It still is to this day. The thing that's special for -- I think the reason it's so special for all three of us is that, first of all, we were all just one year apart. Michael came in '88. I came in '89 and Emmitt came in '90. And we really did not enjoy any success without the other guys. So we enjoyed our successes at the same time with each other, and after Michael left, I played one more year. Emmitt played a couple more years with the Cowboys after I left, but our careers, no question, are very much linked together.

Posted by ron at 12:15 PM eMail this entry!
New species of shark discovered

And oddly enough, it was discovered in South Carolina. It looks like a scalloped hammerhead shark, but has 20 fewer vertebrae and different mitochondrial DNA sequences.

Guess that southern inbreeding can lead to some interesting changes, no?

Posted by ron at 11:54 AM eMail this entry!
July 12, 2006
For Scott - the Redneck Mafia may be breached

It appears that Danica Patrick, the first female driver to lead a lap in the Indy 500, may be considering the move to NASCAR. While Richard Petty may not be amused, it looks like the current drivers would let her in. Of course, that might change if she wins, but for now NASCAR could actually have a driver that isn't related to his wife by something other than marriage...

Posted by ron at 03:12 PM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2006
Going Down

Jeff receives a really late no-prize for bringing us (last month) these pictures of the sinking of the USS Oriskany. Looks like she settled more or less upright, which wasn't gauranteed. Again, it's reachable by recreational divers, but at 200 feet it's still pretty deep.

Posted by scott at 09:54 AM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2006
Marvelous Humans

Fans of the movie "Freaks" and other human oddities (you know who you are) should find The Human Marvels of interest. It claims to be a site dedicated to chronicling the history of the sideshow freak and other "remarkable" humans. The stories can at times be puzzling, interesting, tragic, and uplifting. If nothing else, it seems to be a testament to what the human spirit can achieve even when the human flesh is grossly distorted.

Via ASFD.

Posted by scott at 01:05 PM eMail this entry!
Git 'er Done!

Joshua gets an explosive no-prize for bringing us this video of 30,000 bottle rockets being fired. I was greatly disappointed to learn Virginia (well, northern Virginia at any rate) doesn't allow the sale of said item. I mean, if you can't endanger yourself and neighbors it's not really the 4th of July! We managed to set fire to some money anyway, so pictures will most likely follow soon.

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2006
V is for Vittles!

Grill for victory!

Only in America...

Posted by scott at 04:56 PM eMail this entry!
June 25, 2006
Gun Camera

Also from Fark, this neat collection of "recently declassified" color gun camera footage. Don't know about the declassified part... I think I've seen some of this stuff before, if only in black and white. Still, it gets you about as close to WWII air combat as anyone but the pilots could get.

Posted by scott at 08:42 AM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2006
Perspective

I've often heard it said that atoms were made up of mostly empty space, but I never really got my head around the implications of that. Someone else couldn't either, so they created this "scale model" to help them visualize it. Note the sideways scroll bar.

Groovy...

Posted by scott at 02:53 PM eMail this entry!
June 21, 2006
Cargo Carrier

Probably not new, but I'd never heard of a camelpack for dogs. Anything that lets the beasties pull their own weight (or more) is fine by me.

The turtle is as close as Ellen's getting to a dog, and it'll eventually get about as big as a beagle. I wonder if the straps would fit?

Posted by scott at 02:54 PM eMail this entry!
June 20, 2006
But Where Were the Red Pegs?

Torpedo: 1, Cruiser: 0. At least I think it got hit by a torpedo. I've seen cruise missle film that did most of the same stuff. Definitely glad it was just a target shot!

Posted by scott at 02:39 PM eMail this entry!
Buried Treasure

Mark gets a no-prize with a big ol' gun attached for bringing us this collection of photos detailing the discovery of a "WWII German Stürmgeschutz III". No, I'm not sure what that is either, but it looks very tank-like and, considering that it seems to have been buried in the Czech countryside for the past sixty years, it's in pretty good shape. Site is in Czech, but the pictures do a decent job at conveying what happened.

Finally, something Ellen can tell me I can't have.

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2006
My Kind of Diva

Even if they produced it, I wouldn't be able to afford it, but it shore is purty:

Just under two months ago, the Alfa Romeo Diva made it’s debut at the Geneva Motor Show as a combined effort between Fiat Auto’s engineering arm Elasis, Centro Stile Alfa Romeo and the Espera design school run by Franco Sbarro. Directly after the Geneva Motor Show, the concept car was rebuilt by Carrozzeria Granturismo in Arese, Milan to a higher quality standard. The rebuilt prototype made its first appearance last weekend at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza.

I can definitely see some Enzo in it, especially in the nose, but I think it also recalls Alfa's own 33 Stradale. Nice to see them starting to really knock around concept cars again.

A movie featuring the car can be seen here.

Posted by scott at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2006
I Bet the Pull Out was Interesting

Fark linked up proof you really can water ski behind certain cruise liners. Just about all our aircraft carriers are apparently capable of the same thing. Whether anyone was crazy enough to do it, well, that's a different story.

Posted by scott at 03:53 PM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2006
Paging Sarah Conner, White Courtesy Phone Please

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing the creation of a new sort of "robot hunter":

A team of autonomous flying and ground-based robots have successfully cooperated to search for and locate targets in the streets of an urban warfare training ground in the US. The system could help in search and rescue efforts and military operations – and even has the potential to include humans in the team.

Well, that should make it easier to find Hajji. Now if they'd just invent something to help me find my keys!

Posted by scott at 03:06 PM eMail this entry!
Tending Trails

Outdoorsy-types in the audience may find trails.com of interest. It includes a nifty campground ranking system based on various print reviews of the different areas.

Ellen and I think roughing it is not having a Tivo, so "for real" camping isn't high on our list. However, I have a feeling at least some of these campgrounds will be very nice indeed, so maybe an RV rental will be somewhere in our future.

I hear some of them even have Tivo.

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
June 12, 2006
But Does it Burninate the Peasants?

Slashdot linked up this review of Homestar, a small home planetarium. At ~$240 US it's not what I'd personally call affordable, but it's definitely not outrageous either. Right now Olivia would certainly get a kick out of it, but then she'd probably try to kick it and that would be that. Maybe by the time she's six they'll be selling it here in the US, and I can (try to) make the little monster save up her allowance for it.

That "yeah, right, daddy = ATM with legs" sign you're holding up isn't very funny, by the way.

Posted by scott at 02:56 PM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2006
A Top Ten List, for the Rest of Us

Not that it'll make much difference to some, but this "Top 10 List of Evolution Myths provides a nice quick-refernce card when you need to argue down your neighborhood fundie.

I've found debating with folks who are completely convinced Evolution is wrong is rather like trying to teach an anvil about quantum physics, and gave up long ago. But it's fun to think about!

Posted by scott at 12:47 PM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2006
Scooba Time

Slashdot linked up this "take-it-apart-and-review-it" review of iRobot's new Scooba, the robotic kitchen floor cleaner. At $400 it's definitely too rich for our blood, but if you have a lot of tile or wood floors and like cool gadgets, this may be for you.

It's probably just as well a French maid's outfit is not an option.

Posted by scott at 09:34 AM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2006
Toy Time Machine

Fark linked up this collection of 70s-era toy commercials. Looks like they were all taken from 1972 exclusively. Now I can finally show Ellen what an "SSP racer" looked like. We had tons of those things, and later versions threw sparks all over the place. I'm still surprised we didn't set anything on fire.

Don't they still make "slip n' slide"?

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2006
Playing with Matches

What do you get when you combine oodles of free time, more than a million matches, and a dream? Well, this:

A matchstick modeller is a fifth of the way to creating a five million-match replica of the ill-fated liner Titanic.

Mark Colling is aiming for a world record with a 19ft-long ship, complete with an 8ft match model of the iceberg which sunk the Titanic in 1912.

And people think my hobbies are strange.

Includes pictures!

Posted by scott at 04:07 PM eMail this entry!
June 01, 2006
Zeroing it Out

Ron gets a self-sufficient no-prize for bringing us news of an affordable "zero-energy" home. While earlier attempts to create a house that cost nothing to operate resulted in million-dollar (albeit green) McMansions, Norman, Oklahoma-based Ideal Homes used computer simulations to alter construction techniques to help reduce the cost of constructing such a home. This, combined with a few high-tech appliances, has resulted in a 1600 square-foot house with a claimed cost of less than $200,000 (in Norman, OK, one would presume) which has an average utility cost of zero.

We do what we can (tinted windows, compact flourescent lights, automated thermostat, etc.), but I must admit the "geek factor" of all those nifty gadgets sounds mighty appealing. Problem is in the overheated housing market of this area the dratted thing would probably cost $450k+.

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
May 31, 2006
But Where's the Reset Button?!?

Robert H. gets an analog no-prize for bringing us a new "virtual" slide rule. Those who, like me, always thought it was a goofy looking toy should consult the instructions. Far as I know, my dad's generation was the last to take slide rules seriously, and even then he tells stories about giving instructors ulcers by asking, "why do we have to learn to do this when a computer will do it better and faster?"

I come by it naturally folks.

Posted by scott at 02:58 PM eMail this entry!
Paging R. Kelly, White Courtesy Phone Please

Fark linked up news of a new development in paratrooper deployment:

A new military parachute system which fits wings on soldiers could enable them to travel to 200 kilometres (124 miles) after jumping, Jane's Defence Weekly defence magazine said Friday.

200k is well out of the range of nearly all air defense systems, which should make the guys flying the transport much less nervous. Should help the guys jumping out of the airplane too, as guys zooming around with wings makes for a much tougher target than guys hanging from parachutes. Coming to a special forces team near you!

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
May 30, 2006
Fun with Paper

Fark linked up this step-by-step guide to building the "ultimate" paper airplane. It certainly looks a lot more complicated than the two versions I know how to make, so I have a feeling it'll fly a lot better as well.

Paper airplanes are one of those things it simply never ocurred to me to teach Olivia about. Time to go find something to fold.

Posted by scott at 08:53 AM eMail this entry!
May 26, 2006
I Think, Therefore I Move

Slashdot linked up news that Honda has created a system that allows a person's brain waves to command a robot. As long as they don't put it in cars, I'm fine with it. Then again, maybe it would be a good idea. If it took conscious thought work a car, the highways would be a lot less congested around here.

Posted by scott at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2006
More Alfa Updates

Automobile.com is carrying this much more detailed article on Alfa's return to North America:

Although the brands exact date of arrival is not known, and theres no official information about which vehicles will initially be available, insiders and industry analysts have painted a pretty accurate picture of what will be heading our way. Certain to be included will be the 159 sedan, a critically-acclaimed BMW 3-Series-sized four-door thats set to target the compact luxury segment. The range will most likely feature the Twin Spark inline-four series engines, as well as the Holden-designed, but Alfa-modified V6 engines. A 159 wagon will follow, and both cars will be offered with a unique all -wheel drive system featuring Torsens new C variable differential.

Hmmm... a wagon. Now there's an interesting idea.

Meanwhile, Alfa has collected a new award for its 159 sedan, this time from a UK association of fleet managers. Considering the number of cars they deal with and the kinds of things they value, this tends to speak well of Alfa's efforts to improve reliability and quality.

Gotta keep counting those pennies!

Posted by scott at 03:26 PM eMail this entry!
Turntable Tech

Love that vinyl sound, but hate the wear and tear a stylus causes when it plays your favorite record? Have we got a gadget for you:

The Laser Turntable employs patented technology that produces phenomenal fidelity while never physically touching the record, thus eliminating the deterioration to the album's surface inflicted by conventional turntables.

It can be yours for a measly $15,000. And you thought bicyling was an expensive hobby.

I'm pretty sure this is the tech various museums and universities are using to record and preserve extremely rare and fragile cylinder and acetate disk recordings. I'm still not completely sure how you can scan something like this with a laser and not have it digitized in some manner, but the site claims it's analog all the way. Which is good, because people crazy enough to spend the $$$ on a gadget like this are also crazy enough to think analog is always better than digital.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
May 21, 2006
Civil War Pixes
Posted by Ellen at 06:43 PM eMail this entry!
May 19, 2006
But Can We Roast Them on an Open Fire?

Pat gets a nutty no-prize for letting us know about the discovery of a rare stand of American Chestnut trees in Albany GA. This species of hardwood tree was almost completely wiped out by a fast-spreading fungus in 1904, so finding a mature stand of them is quite impressive.

Posted by scott at 09:52 AM eMail this entry!
May 18, 2006
Down She Goes

Jeff gets a no-prize at the bottom of the ocean for bringing us news of the spectacular and useful demise of the USS Oriskany, a WWII-era Essex class aircraft carrier. Her career included combat tours to Korea and Vietnam, as well as a few supporting roles in various movies. She's the first (and so far largest) warship to be turned into an artificial reef.

She's sunk in 210 feet of water, which will make her a challenging dive even to reach the top of the island. Still, it'd be a helluva place to explore!

Posted by scott at 01:45 PM eMail this entry!
Gator Time

So are gators dangerous, or is the press just suddenly noticing them like they did with the Great Shark Attack frenzy a few years ago? Michael Yon thinks perhaps it's a bit of both:

When people eat gators, it never seems to make the news. But lately gators have killed three people, so it’s big in the news.

The State of Florida—where tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry—is quick to say that only 17 people have been killed by gators in Florida during the last 58 years. I am suspicious of this number, which somehow never seems to change despite the occasional story about man-eating gators. Media around the world have regurgitated the figure faithfully, but I have suspected for many years that someone is hiding the true body count. Before I get a wave of angry communiqués, or worse, whispers from the knowing who have proof of the “hidden-killer-gator-conspiracy,” I’ll admit the body count is not worth more than another minute on it, but I suspect –without substantiation –that my favorite state, Florida, pegs the body count low to avoid flushing the tourists. The State probably already has a press release with an excuse ready for the day when some pesky journalist figures out the real body count. After all, we are talking about gators; the attacks flash in the news and disappear.

Includes a detailed account of when the author got in a tangle with a 12 foot male!

Long ago, we used to live in Merrit Island Florida, and my parents have several stories of various alligator encounters. The one I remember is about a big male who used to terrorize the NASA parking lots, chewing off car tires for no reason anyone could figure out. Eventually he got overly ambitious and tried to chew the tire off a moving bus, thereby becoming an ex-alligator.

At least, that's the story. Always funny, sometimes even true!

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
May 17, 2006
But Should We Call it Nook-Yu-Ler?

There's duct tape, and then there's Duct Tape:

8979N – Nuclear Grade is designed for both permanent and temporary applications both indoors and outdoors.

Rated for use up to 200 degrees, and is meant to last for a year or more. I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!

Via ASFD.

Posted by scott at 01:47 PM eMail this entry!
More "Wii-ing" on the Competition

Suddenly, coming up from the outside, here's Nintendo roaring back into the field:

Nintendo, which is trying to regain videogame market share from Microsoft and Sony, will likely sell its new Wii console for much less than its competitors' console prices. Merrill Lynch analyst Justin Post predicted Thursday that the new machine, which will be released this fall, will sell for $200, a move that could prompt software publishers to create more titles for the gaming system.

It would also appear Nintendo has finally made its development tools cheaper, and that this platform is easier to develop for than the others. The former was a legendary complaint about earlier Nintendo platforms which stunted their growth, and the latter addresses several complaints made by developers about the competitor's latest consoles.

Why are developers so important? Games don't write themselves! Couple that with an innovative controller and a price below, sometimes far below, the competition and you've got yourself a darned interesting market. For once.

Posted by scott at 09:47 AM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2006
More than Meets the Eye

Fark linked up this nifty little bit of CGI intended as some sort of "demonstration" of the upcoming Transformers movie. Or not. Or maybe someone is trying out. Nobody's quite sure. Looks pretty slick to me.

Posted by scott at 09:58 AM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2006
Super Scooter!

James H. gets a no-prize with one too many wheels for bringing us Italy's "next big thing" in scooter design. Unfortunately the article itself is in Italian, so only pictures for you!

If we didn't live so far away from work, Ellen and I would probably both be using scooters to commute. The look on The Grammas's faces when they saw Olivia strapped on the back would be worth the price of admission alone.

Posted by scott at 08:09 AM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2006
Alfa Update

Whilst trolling around in Google news I found this update on Alfa Romeo's return to North America. Still "soon, really really soon!" but at least they're still saying "soon".

Not that it'll matter. These things'll be in the $50k range, way above my reach. Still, it'd be nice to see the ol' cross-and-serpent wandering around these streets again. Maybe I could pick one up used...

Posted by scott at 02:36 PM eMail this entry!
E3 Update

Gamespot is carrying this E3 Xbox 360 update detailing the "AAA" list of games soon to be released. Yep, Halo 3 is on there. Now if I can just convince myself spending $$$ for just a single game is worth it. Daddy wants a new pair of bike shoes!

Posted by scott at 09:33 AM eMail this entry!
May 10, 2006
Fun with Cups
Posted by scott at 12:42 PM eMail this entry!
Big Iron

With pistons as big as golf carts and shell bearings that could double as hammock braces, I don't doubt this thing is the most powerful diesel engine ever. The shot with the crank installed makes me think, "Honey, I shrank the union!"

50% maximum thermal efficiency under load. Not too shabby!

Posted by scott at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
May 09, 2006
Truth and Consequences

Mark gets a no-prize made of swiss cheese for bringing us The Buick of Truth. Ever wonder just exactly what happens when you shoot a car? Wonder no more! You'll need to scroll through six pages of comments to see all the main articles, but they're definitely worth it.

Years ago a Car and Driver columnist said shooting at a car was possibly the funnest thing you could do with one. These pictures do nothing to dispel that assertion.

Posted by scott at 07:48 AM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2006
Wii'ing on the Competition?

Just when you thought Nintendo was down and out for the count, they go and surprise everyone again:

It's a remarkable experience. Instead of passively playing the games, with the new controller you physically perform them. You act them out. It's almost like theater: the fourth wall between game and player dissolves. The sense of immersion--the illusion that you, personally, are projected into the game world--is powerful. And there's an instant party atmosphere in the room. One advantage of the new controller is that it not only is fun, it looks fun. When you play with an old-style controller, you look like a loser, a blank-eyed joystick fondler. But when you're jumping around and shaking your hulamaker, everybody's having a good time.

The new console, dubbed the "Wii" (pronounced "we", apparently), suddenly looks a lot more interesting. No announced price point or release date (that I can find, at any rate), so two of the most critical factors in the success of any consumer electronics device are still up in the air. Nintendo has a well-deserved reputation for doing what it wants, when it wants, for its own reasons. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. We'll just have to wait and see if it works this time.

Posted by scott at 01:03 PM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2006
Furious Four

Fark linked up what must be one of the more original web games available. Hell it takes me half the available time just to figure out what's going on.

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2006
Hitchin' a Ride

Damned press weenies. They always get to do the fun stuff. Bah, I guess I'm still happy for anyone who gets to go on a hop with the Blue Angels. I wonder if my old home town newspaper would credential me so I could give it a shot?

Posted by scott at 12:41 PM eMail this entry!
Tiny Dancer

Pat gets a music box no-prize for bringing us this New York Times piece about a very special sort of ballet class:

... There are no lithe leaps, perfect pirouettes or pointed toes here. Most girls cannot walk or stand, much less make a shallow curtsy. Their crutches and walkers lie nearby and their customized ballet slippers are stretched over leg braces.

The eight little ballet students, who have cerebral palsy and other debilitating physical conditions, are assisted in class by teenage volunteers with strong healthy bodies and infinite patience. The teacher is Joann Ferrara, a physical therapist who owns and runs Associated Therapies, where most of the girls go for treatment.

It's nice to read things like this which renew your faith in humanity.

Posted by scott at 09:40 AM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2006
The Whaleback

Fark linked up news that a giant new feature has "grown" out of the Mount St. Helens caldera:

A slab of rock the size of a football field is standing on end inside the crater.

The giant 'fin' is pushing upwards of four to five feet a day, but is not growing taller because it tends to crumble as it grows.

Don't mess with mother nature. Includes several extremely impressive pictures!

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
May 02, 2006
More Pyramid Power

Lisa R. gets a gigantic no-prize for bringing us BosnianPyramid.com, a site that seems to be a combo blog/website containing lots of detail about the Bosnian pyramids we linked up earlier today. I didn't search through it in-depth, but from what I scanned I still couldn't find any indication of how old people thought the things actually are. Weird.

Posted by scott at 03:33 PM eMail this entry!
Testify!

Thomas Sowell first lays the smack-down on all those foil hat conspiracy theories about rising gas prices, and the people who make them:

Ironically, the people who are making the most noise about the high price of gasoline are the very people who have for years blocked every attempt to increase our own oil supply. They have opposed drilling for oil off the Atlantic coast, off the Pacific coast, or in Alaska. They have prevented the building of any new oil refineries anywhere for decades.

They have fought against the building of hydroelectric dams or nuclear power plants to generate electricity without the use of oil. They love to talk about their own pet "alternative energy sources," without the slightest attention to what these would cost in terms of money, jobs, or our national standard of living.

Even when one of their pet "alternative energy sources" -- windmills -- is proposed to be built near them, suddenly it is not right to spoil their view.

Then he sounds a warning about what might happen if those evil oil companies are "brought to heel:"

"Windfall" profits and windfall losses are all part of the same adjustment process. If politicians seize the windfall profits and leave windfall losses alone, what that means over a cycle of years is that the average rate of return on oil production falls below what is needed to attract the investments that greater oil exploration and production require.

One thing he doesn't point out, which has only been mentioned in passing in the MSM, is that the economies that are largely driving these price increases are doing so because of subsidies of their own. India, China, and Malaysia in particular heavily subsidise their fuel prices. These artificially low prices therefore provide no incentive for people to cut back or become more efficient. So, while fuel use gradually goes down and efficiency goes up here in the West, exactly the opposite is happening in the East, and so the prices stay high.

But, as Mr. Sowell points out, trying to make reality go away through politics is like keeping a tiger in your house because you have a fridge full of meat. Eventually the fridge goes empty, the tiger gets hungry, and suddenly all the good intentions in the world aren't enough to save you.

Posted by scott at 12:47 PM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2006
My Kind of Decoration

Ellen, of course, would want to paint a cat on it:

A Chinese businessman has bought a MiG-21f plane from a U.S. seller on the online auction Web site eBay for $24,730 and plans to use it to decorate an empty space at his offices, a newspaper reported Sunday.

The article also provides a brief update on that aircraft carrier some Chinese businessmen bought from Russia. You know, the one that circled in the Black Sea, towed by a tug, for something like three years? It still doesn't have a real home.

Posted by scott at 12:50 PM eMail this entry!
Woot!

While not exactly "Man Bites Dog", Alfa winning a BMW design prize is still a backward sort of headline. The car is gorgeous, though I imagine if it were ever produced all I'd be doing is admiring from afar.

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
April 30, 2006
Tetris Time

Joshua gets a lightning fast no-prize for bringing us the world's most impressive Tetris video. I'm not completely convinced the thing is being played back at actual speed, but even if they did play it back a little faster it's still impressive. Well, for a video game anyway.

Posted by scott at 08:40 AM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2006
Killer Statistics

Pat gets a no-prize with a magnifying glass for bringing us this New York Times piece detailing what that paper found when they did some detailed analysis on the Big Apple's annually published crime statistics:

The oldest killer was 88; he murdered his wife. The youngest was 9; she stabbed her friend. The women were more than twice as likely as men to murder a current spouse or lover. But once the romance was over, only the men killed their exes. The deadliest day was on July 10, 2004, when eight people died in separate homicides.

Five people eliminated a boss; 10 others murdered co-workers. Males who killed favored firearms, while women and girls chose knives as often as guns. More homicides occurred in Brooklyn than in any other borough. More happened on Saturday. And roughly a third are unsolved.

It's nearly always interesting when you take a mass of data and then run it through some basic analysis tools. It's even moreso when it's something interesting in and of itself, like murder. What you do with these statistics is more problematic, but considering that New York is experiencing crime rates not seen since the 1960s, the cops seem to be doing something right.

Posted by scott at 08:57 AM eMail this entry!
April 27, 2006
Getting Started

CNN is running a story that notes after years of wrangling, construction is finally getting started on the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site. The details sound like the Port Authority got most if not all of what it wanted. Which, from what I've read, is more or less what usually happens.

Posted by scott at 03:27 PM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2006
Maybe Now I'll be Able to Hit Something

Slashdot linked up news of gaming companies working on neural interfaces:

At least two start-ups have developed technology that monitors a player's brain waves and uses the signals to control the action in games. They hope it will enable game creators to immerse players in imaginary worlds that they can control with their thoughts instead of their hands.

Will my legendary ability to maneuver into a perfect firing position and then rattle off the entire ammo supply without scoring a single hit ever be the same?

Posted by scott at 09:09 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2006
A Different Sort of "Interpretive" Dance

All they lacked was a cliff with a hole painted on it for the coyote to run into:

One misplaced cell phone and one savvy interpreter equaled one dead insurgent, several pieces of intelligence and a whole lot of captured weapons.

Credulous press monkeys reporting an attack on "innocent civilians" in 3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
April 21, 2006
Cool Can

Fark linked up news of a high-tech can that will cool your beer 30 degrees in 3 minutes. Since it's being tested by Miller, you'll still end up with good ol' American pisswater, but it'll be cold pisswater!

Judging by the complexity, I can't believe they'll bring this to market at anythign like an affordable price. Guinness got away with a fancy can because it's expensive beer in the first place... if you're willing to pay $5 for a bottle, $6 for a can isn't much of a stretch. But if you're only willing to pay $5 for a twelve pack, well, the economics of the thing change quite a bit.

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2006
An Alarm, for Summer Time

Quick, which is more dangerous around a child: a loaded handgun, or a swimming pool?

The fact that I ask it that way should clue you in to the fact that it's actually the swimming pool, which kills literally hundreds of children under 5 every year. That's where the safety turtle comes in. It's an alarm that goes off the instant a child (or even a pet) hits the water, providing a vital last-ditch level of protection for your kid.

If only they'd figure out how to make one that'd catch a cat wizzing on a wall...

Posted by scott at 01:52 PM eMail this entry!
April 19, 2006
Barn Find

Alfa Owner Club official publication, September 2005, Ed McDonough, writes, “ It’s over 50 years since the cars first appeared at a press launch in October 1952. Relatively few of the cars which became known as “Disco’s” were ever built, and no one really knows how many there were ... One of the final cars in the original Disco shape is listed in the existing records as .00012, but it is also listed as “Unknown” or dismantled, or both. It may have been re-bodied or scrapped.”

That story being told, up for auction is a 1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Valante, VIN # AR13620012.

No more than half a dozen of these things were ever built, and most of the ones which survive rightly live in museums around the world. That this one, known and known lost, should suddenly reappear is simply remarkable. It might be fake, but if it is it's a period fake, made in the 1950s with parts commonly available at that time. I don't know a lot about these cars in particular, but I do know what Alfas from the 50s looked like, and this definitely is one.

Yours for, at this time, $65,000. Fascinating...

Posted by scott at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
April 18, 2006
Tigers and Panthers and Tanks, Oh My!

Mark gets a scary no-prize from the past for bringing us this video of a restored Panther tank on the move and this video of a restored Tiger doing the same.

It's one thing to see old black-and-white newsreel photos of these things rolling across the steppe, and quite another to see and hear them trundling around a parking lot in full-color video. I can't imagine what it must've been like being 18 and seeing dozens of them coming over the horizon.

Posted by scott at 02:50 PM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2006
~ He was a Skater Boi ~

Three words: urban combat skateboard. No, really!

While the article is tongue-in-cheek, the comments seem to indicate there really are legitimate uses for skateboards in combat. Hey, if it makes one of our guys more likely to come home, why not?

Via Siflay.

Posted by scott at 12:23 PM eMail this entry!
April 12, 2006
Panda Boom

Pat gets a ridiculously cute no-prize for bringing us this video report of China's progress in breeding giant pandas. Don't miss the plastic surgery on the local anchor either. Looks like someone smacked her in the mouth.

Posted by scott at 09:23 AM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2006
Flip n' Fiddle

While trying to keep my head from exploding due to the complexities of internet routing, I found the "3D museum", which has a few interesting models of various fossils you can twist and turn at your leisure. Pretty neat holding an entire Dimetrodon skull in your virtual hands.

Posted by scott at 02:16 PM eMail this entry!
The All-Seeing Eye

Fark linked up what to me looks like Sauron's own treehouse. And mom thinks my stairs are a bitch...

Posted by scott at 08:14 AM eMail this entry!
April 07, 2006
Past Time

U of Ark alumni and various others should find this pictorial history of Fayetteville website of interest. The crazy thing for me is how much the campus has evolved since I left it. I mean, that was 1991, just a few... waitaminute... when the hell did 1991 become 15 f'ing years ago?!? I didn't vote for that!

Via ASFD.

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2006
Book Sale

Reuters is reporting on a a Sotheby's sale which should be of interest to English majors:

complete First Folio edition of William Shakespeare's plays, in prime condition and still in its 17th century calf leather binding, is expected to fetch up to 3.5 million pounds ($6.10 million) when it goes on sale in July.

Hailed by auctioneer Sotheby's as the most important book in English literature, the First Folio is credited with saving for posterity many of the bard's plays including "Macbeth," "Twelfth Night" and "Julius Caesar" which had never before been printed.

I wonder if they'd take a check?

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2006
I Gotta Get Me One of These

I think they should call them "nerd glasses":

A device that can pick up on people's emotions is being developed to help people with autism relate to those around them. It will alert its autistic user if the person they are talking to starts showing signs of getting bored or annoyed.

Will the dating scene ever be the same?

Posted by scott at 01:41 PM eMail this entry!
Scrubs Songs

Fans of the TV show Scrubs will probably be interested to know that Ted's band is actually real.

Personally I've found the show to be almost too silly this season. I keep watching because they still have moments of brilliance. That, and Perry's attitudes and even speech patterns are often dead ringers for Ellen's.

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2006
Wings of Clarity

I'm not sure if these pictures of transparent butterfly wings are photoshopped or not, but they sure do look neat. As Olivia would say, "ooooh... buddafly!"

Update: Nope, it's for real.

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
March 23, 2006
Wal-Lab

We linked up a story two days ago about Whole Foods which mentioned that Wal Mart was getting into the organic food market. Looks like it's happening sooner than we thought:

The new Wal-Mart Supercenter going up at West Plano [Texas] Parkway and the Tollway in Plano is not like any store shoppers have seen before.

Wal-Mart did not want anyone to know what was happening inside the building until now because of competition in retail.
...
There is a selection of fresh sushi, and a beer and wine selection one would expect to find at a liquor store with 1,200 different varieties available. A computer can tell shoppers which of the hundreds of wines go with which foods. And there are 500 items that are either all natural or organic.

I also think it's great that the opening of a Wal Mart warranted a live feed from the local newsies. Gotta love America!

Posted by scott at 01:33 PM eMail this entry!
More than Meets the... rrmm... Force?

Fark linked up news that Hasbro has combined Star Wars themes with Transformer engineering. My nephew is a huge Transformers fan, so I'm expecting to see these at my brother's house momentarily. I never have been able to figure the damned things out. Ellen eventually has to take them away from me when we visit so I'll actually pay attention to the people around me.

Posted by scott at 08:41 AM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2006
... and When You're Done Wait 'till You See what She Does with the Bottle

Well why not:

It seemed like the perfect gimmick: a celebrity porn star would launch her own wine, with her alluring picture on the label.

Savanna Samson did just that, but when it received a score of 90 to 91 out of 100 by wine guru Robert Parker, the project became serious. It turns out Samson, the star of "The New Devil in Miss Jones," has produced an exceptional wine, becoming the toast of two industries: wine-making and pornography.

Definitely a step up (or three, or a hundred) from that bizzare "Welches-with-a-cork-in" stuff that Joshua occasionally threatens us with from time to time. "Coming" to a store near you!

Posted by scott at 03:44 PM eMail this entry!
Solid State

Also from slashdot, news of the launch of a 32 gigabyte flash drive. While currently targetted at the high-end laptop market, I can't help but think this would be a very nifty way to populate, say, a server RAID array. With six of them in RAID 5, you'd have 160 GB of what would seem to be bulletproof storage.

Posted by scott at 11:30 AM eMail this entry!
MacTelWin? WinTelMac?

Slashdot is reporting people are getting MS Windows XP to successfully run on the new Mac/Intel hardware. No, I'm not sure why either, but like someone in the comments noted, options are always good.

If nothing else, you could at least play all the latest games on a really cool looking box.

Posted by scott at 10:34 AM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2006
A Pipe Dream on Wheels?

Well, that's what I thought when I first read about this new hybrid vehicle from a new startup company. Three wheels, looks like something out of a 60s Sci-Fi movie, who knows how much stuff it will actually hold? But if they really can sell them for less than $20,000 they may still have a chance.

One thing in their favor... it varies from state to state, but vehicles with three wheels are nearly always considered motorcycles, neatly avoiding all the complex and expensive safety and emissions regulations that govern cars. Which is both good, and, well, bad. Doesn't much matter until the first one comes out, so we'll see.

Posted by scott at 07:55 AM eMail this entry!
March 17, 2006
Tax Dollars at Work

Looks like all those fancy law enforcement networks are starting to pay off:

Toronto sex crime investigators cracked a seemingly impenetrable child pornography Internet ring, providing police around the world with ammunition to make dozens of arrests and save seven children from further abuse.

The details are definitely not for the faint of heart. All I can say is hurray for the kanuks and everyone who worked on the case! As for the rest, I'm not sure there's a deep enough hole to toss them down, but I'd sure like to try until I found one.

Posted by scott at 02:11 PM eMail this entry!
Give Away the Razors...

and make a profit on the blades.

A no-prize that'll change the way he watches TV goes to Joshua for letting us know about this "free TIVO" offer!

Posted by scott at 10:42 AM eMail this entry!
March 16, 2006
~ Wiggle Jiggle / Yellow Middle ~

Fark linked up this pair of pictures from some sort of egg construction art project. Sort of thing. Great, now Ellen and I will have that stupid egg song in our heads for the rest of the day...

Posted by scott at 01:06 PM eMail this entry!
What do you Get after Drinking a Teeny Tiny Beer

A reall small smiley face:

A nanotechnologist has created the world's smallest and most plentiful Smiley, a tiny face measuring a few billionths of a meter across that is assembled from strands of DNA.

Fifty billion Smileys, each a thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, can be made at a stroke under the technique pioneered by Paul Rothemund at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

While seemingly trivial, the technique holds great promise for the manufacture of nano-scale computers and novel methods of drug delivery.

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2006
A Subscription, for the Rest of Us

Discovery Channel has launched a new service targetted at parents:

A new Discovery Channel homework Web site aims to remind parents whose math and history knowledge has gotten rusty how to help their children with the very things they have forgotten.
...
"Finally, you can look smart in front of your child," [Judith McHale, president and chief executive of Discovery Communications] joked.

Considering my legendary lack of mathematical skills, I'll need something like this for sure.

Posted by scott at 01:53 PM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2006
If Only it'd Come to the US

BBCnews is carrying this article on the "IgNobel tour":

To mark National Science Week, past winners of the most infamous prize in academia are touring the country to explain, among other things, the logic of making locusts watch repeated highlights of Star Wars and how ostriches fancy humans.

Yup, you read right. Star wars watching grasshoppers. You'll be surprised at the reason.

Posted by scott at 12:52 PM eMail this entry!
That's Mister Peter Cottontail to You, Bub

No, Ellen, you can't have one:

A man has been showing off his gigantic rabbit named Herman.

The mighty bunny weighs a massive 7.7kg, and his ears are a lengthy 21cm - almost as long as most pet rabbits are tall. And he is almost 1m tall.

Damned near as tall as Olivia, albeit not as heavy. Just in time for Easter!

Posted by scott at 09:06 AM eMail this entry!
March 10, 2006
But will it Fit a PT Cruiser?

Instapundit linked up this brief note on the latest in vehicle protection gizmos:

The U.S. Army has discovered a remote control gun turret that works, and cannot get enough of them. The army wants over 9,000 CROWS (common remotely operated weapon stations), but is only getting 15 a month. There should be about a thousand CROWS in service by the end of the year.
...
The gunner is inside the vehicle, checking out the surroundings on a computer monitor (with night vision and telephoto capabilities).

As the article notes, remote turrets have been around in one form or another for quite some time*. See ma, video games can be useful!

------
* The first one I can remember reading about is a dorsal turret for early model B-25s. The optical system was so bad the gunners usually got airsick. B-17s used a similar system, with similar success. B-29s used a vastly improved system with one of the first digital computers ever fitted to an aircraft. As far as I know, most aircraft turrets used since then followed essentially the same pattern, although eventually they switched to radar guidance and computer control.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
Forced Perspective

Fark linked up this nifty collection of "3D" sidewalk chalk art. In real life, it's probably not as eerie as this, but it sure does make for some neat photographs!

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2006
The Shapes of Things to Come

Forbes.com is carrying this interesting article describing "10 things that will change the way we live" (gotta love the media for their abilities at understatement, no?) While I think the "$200 barrel of oil" bit is jarring, out of place, and just plain wrong, the rest are quite interesting.

Via ASFD.

Posted by scott at 01:47 PM eMail this entry!
I Wonder if the Phone Went "Poh-POP"?

Slashdot linked up this news report on Tivo Corp's latest conference call to stock analysts. Tivo will apparently be discontinuing their lifetime service, instead switching to one, two, and three year contracts with discounts for longer terms. They also mentioned the (to me anyway) much-anticipated Series 3 recorders should be coming out later this year.

While the rate re-structuring is getting the most attention, I think it's actually a pretty good idea. What's not mentioned often enough about the lifetime contract is that it was for the Tivo, not the household. If you got a new Tivo you had to buy a new lifetime contract. It also took right around three years to "break even" on the lifetime service vs. the monthly agreement. Since new generations of Tivo players tended to come out every 3 years or so, it made upgrading much harder than it had to be. The new service it seems to me is much better, even if it is still for the machine and not the person.

I wonder if they'll provide multi-machine discounts?

Posted by scott at 09:31 AM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2006
Super Strength!

Step right up folks, and prepare to be amazed. With this nifty little guide even you can tear a phone book in half. Maybe.

Don't look at me man... our phone books are 5 inches thick. Each (white and yellow). You can barely get your hands around them.

Posted by scott at 03:52 PM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2006
If The Simpsons Were Real
Posted by Ellen at 07:09 PM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2006
It's "Eggciting!"

While Ron's Christmas present to me of a simple model rocket kit was greatly appreciated and should provide extreme amounts of mildly dangerous fun, I think this one is, as he tends to say, "money". "Winter 2006" might mean October (might), in which case we'd have a far superior way of delivering Halloween eggs.

At least until the cops show up.

Posted by scott at 03:09 PM eMail this entry!
Mind if I Smoke?

Personally, this sounds like a really smooth mule kick:

Following a 17th century recipe, one of the eight artisanal whisky producers on the tiny Scottish isle of Islay will produce a dozen barrels of 184-proof whisky, the company announced.

For me, regular whiskey is beautiful at night, vicious and vindictive the next morning. I really don't want to imagine what this stuff might be like.

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2006
Just be Sure to Keep Your Head Down

Making the rounds: Russia is planning on getting one of its ISS cosmonauts to whack a golf ball into orbit. NASA is clucking about safety, but the concerns seem more the result of post-Columbia gold-plate-every-risk attitudes rather than any real danger. The stunt is a commercial deal with a Canadian golf goods manufacturer, using a club made of the same stuff as the station itself. It's supposed to be lighter, stronger, and stiffer than carbon, aluminum, or steel.

Which begs the question, why waste time on golf clubs when you can make important stuff out of it? You know... bicycles!

Posted by scott at 12:04 PM eMail this entry!
February 28, 2006
Save the Weenies!

Anything that makes me less likely to separate important bits of my body from the main is all right by me. I wonder if they've tried to partner with insurance companies on this? "Our saw is expensive, but the price difference is more than made up in X years by lower insurance premiums!" It would seem a win for all.

Posted by scott at 08:22 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2006
Axiom and Corollary

  • The true sign of a well-sorted hi-fi rig is the sound gets fuller as the volume goes up. It only seems loud when you try to talk to the person beside you and are surprised you have to shout.

  • My wife is the first person in my life who (so far) has never told me to turn the music down. Ellen, therefore, rox.

We now return you to your regular fragfest...

Posted by scott at 07:29 PM eMail this entry!
February 25, 2006
My Wife Would Never Leave the Bathroom

Not just a tub with a TV, it's a tub with surround sound. And a TV. And bubbles!

Posted by scott at 03:47 PM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2006
"Masking" Clues

New Scientist is carrying this article detailing how researchers used new imaging techniques and some "nifty detective work" to strongly suggest a 17th century death mask is that of William Shakespear. British authorities are not completely convinced, and unfortunately while the article refers to pictures none are present.

Posted by scott at 09:35 AM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2006
A Pendantic Find

Fark linked up news of the discovery of a 6500 year old gold pendant in modern Greece. While simple in design, the date and composition of the piece speaks volumes about the technology and culture of the people who made it.

For perspective, this pendant was made about two thousand years before the pyramids.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2006
Slime Sentry

Slashdot linked up this New Scientist article that details a startling new development in autonomous robotics:

A bright yellow slime mould that can grow to several metres in diameter has been put in charge of a scrabbling, six-legged robot.

The Physarum polycephalum slime, which naturally shies away from light, controls the robot's movement so that it too keeps out of light and seeks out dark places in which to hide itself.

Great. It's not enough we need to worry about giant genetically engineered blobs yanking our heads down drainpipes. Now they've got robots to walk around with!

Posted by scott at 10:11 AM eMail this entry!
February 13, 2006
Coming in 2007

A Dark Crystal of a NO-Prize goes to Rich for the link!

Award-winning animation director Genndy Tartakovsky, who created the hit series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Samurai Jack and Dexter’s Laboratory, will direct Power of the Dark Crystal, the much anticipated sequel to The Jim Henson Company’s 1982 classic fantasy film. The announcement was made today by Lisa Henson, co-CEO of The Jim Henson Company and a producer on the film.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 07:08 PM eMail this entry!
A Case, for the Rest of Us

You can take your fancy lit-up computer cases and bury them in the back yard. This is the one for me!

Posted by scott at 08:26 AM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2006
Crytek Concerns

Just now finished up re-playing Far Cry, an award-winning shooter from early last year, and it was just as fun the second time through. After doing a bit of digging, it looks like the guys who designed that game are finally getting ready to release a follow-in. Not a sequel, but a totally new game, this time "requiring adaptive tactics and customisation of weapons and armour". Which is cool, as I don't recall a shooter that lets you tinker with the weapons themselves. Should be fun!

Posted by scott at 02:46 PM eMail this entry!
They Even have an Entry for "Tits"

But I personally think the origin of porcelain is more interesting. Decal too, considering how many of them I ruined while trying to finish off various plastic scale models over the years.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME

Our favorite fiction author is finally getting one of his novels turned into a movie:

He is the best-selling fantasy fiction author from the West whose mysterious tales are loved by millions of bookworms the world over. Now, for the first time, one of the stories from Wiltshire-based Terry Pratchett's hugely popular Discworld series is to be adapted into a TV film. And the Ł6million Sky One production will feature a host of familiar faces, including one of Britain's best-loved actors, Sir David Jason, in a starring role.

Hogfather will be the first time a book from Pratchett's Discworld series has been made into a feature-length film.

Hogfather, for those poor pagans unaware of and those phillistines who refuse to read Pratchett, is a send-up of Christmastime with Death (you know, tall, skeletal, wears a cape, carries a scythe, TALKS LIKE THIS... anyone? anyone? Buehler?) being forced to stand-in for the jolly one in the red suit.

In other words, a wonderful addition to your holiday library! :)

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2006
Inside Your Favorite Cartoon Character
Posted by Ellen at 06:49 AM eMail this entry!
February 08, 2006
I Find Your Lack of Camo Disturbing

It sure don't look comfortable, but I bet it's better than a face full of shrapnel. Of course, one of the goals in Iraq seems to be to look less intimidating, so I have no idea how popular this would be in the field.

James H. gets a tough-and-scary no-prize for bringing us the latest in armor tech.

Posted by scott at 03:27 PM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2006
Party Barge

Fark linked up this article detailing the announcement of one helluva boat:

The ship, dubbed Project Genesis, will be 220,000 gross registered tons when it is delivered to the world's second-largest cruise operator in fall 2009 by Oslo, Norway-based shipbuilder Aker Yards.
...
Project Genesis will carry 5,400 passengers based on two people per cabin, Kulovaara said. But as most cruise cabins can accommodate more than two people using cots or other beds, that number rises to a maximum capacity of 6,400.

For perspective, a Nimitz class aircraft carrier's displacement is listed as 97,000 tons fully loaded. With, like, heavy things like bombs and airplanes and stuff.

Posted by scott at 08:26 AM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2006
Toys!!!

Turn my back and what happens? Someone comes out with a new Star Trek Enterprise model. I built perhaps half a dozen first-issue EMT/ERTL kits when I was a teen. Never could get the primary hull opaque enough to keep the kernel lights supplied from showing through the plastic. I nearly sold a much later issue at a convention art auction when I was in college. It hung quite impressively in my Fayetteville home, only to later be destroyed by a combination of poor engineering and lax packing when I tried to ship it across half the country. I always thought they butchered an otherwise good kit trying to replicate the complex hull plating of the (monstrously large) movie model.

The ERTL kit was very difficult to hold together... a poorly engineered model of an admittedly poorly conceived starship. In spite of that, I've always thought the movie Enterprise to be the prettiest of them all. Nice to see Paramount's giving another company a crack at the design.

Oh shut up. Shut up. Next one of you shouts, "Nerddddd!!!" is getting a boot to the head!

Posted by scott at 07:41 PM eMail this entry!
Crystal Catch

Ron gets an abstract rainbow no-prize for bringing us this collection of microscope shots of various crystallized medicines. Abstract health art!

Posted by scott at 10:41 AM eMail this entry!
February 03, 2006
Now if They'd Just Make an Inflatable Ferrari...

Blow-up plastic dolls? Bah! How about a blow-up concrete tent:

The Concrete Canvas product has been called inflatable concrete - and not without reason. It is designed to be a rapidly-deployable semi-permanent shelter that can be airlifted to any spot on the globe.

Via ASFD

Posted by scott at 01:16 PM eMail this entry!
Down She Goes

Fark linked up news of the discovery of an ancient Greek shipwreck:

The remains of an ancient Greek cargo ship that sank more than 2,300 years ago have been uncovered with a deep-sea robot, archaeologists announced Thursday.

The ship was carrying hundreds of ceramic jars of wine and olive oil and went down off Chios and the Oinoussai islands in the eastern Aegean Sea sometime around 350 B.C.

Which would put it right around the time of the birth of Alexander the Great.

Posted by scott at 08:32 AM eMail this entry!
February 01, 2006
Invention Time

This week's New Scientist Invention round-up includes an elastic internal combustion engine (no, really!), a car hi-fi system that adjusts itself to changing accoustics in the auto, and a new twist on collector cards and toys. The bouncy-ball engine sounds nifty as all get-out, but the card thing strikes me as a bit spooky. Several of Olivia's toys regularly "detonate" for no discernible reason already. I can only imagine what they'd be like with something like this.

Posted by scott at 03:39 PM eMail this entry!
More Busting

Slashdot linked up this Star Wars community article summarizing an interview with everyone's favorite "build team", the Mythbusters. Not quite as detailed as Slashdot's own interview, but still quite interesting.

Posted by scott at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
January 31, 2006
The Ultimate Silver Lining

Like getting a first down because your quarterback fumbled the ball in the right direction, it's not how you wanted to get it, but you'll take it:

For 26 years Joyce Urch of Coventry, England, listened to her family grow — five kids, 12 grandkids, three great-grandkids.

She listened, but she couldn't see them. Blinded by a hereditary illness, Joyce was resigned to a life of blackness.

Then one day, she was rushed to the hospital with chest pains. Doctors described her as lifeless. She had suffered a heart attack and kidney failure.

Then Urch woke up after a lifesaving operation and opened her eyes. She could see.

Miracle? Science? Who knows?

Posted by scott at 03:32 PM eMail this entry!
Royal Gills

BBCnews is carrying this article on the development of a working "artificial gill", potentially allowing human divers the ability to breathe underwater without the need for tanks. The technology is still in its primitive stages, and the article has a litany of things which need to be addressed before the diving community at large will start to take it seriously.

Posted by scott at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
January 30, 2006
Set Wow = 1000

Hey, you know if the picture os by Sigurour Stefnisson, it's gotta be good. No, really!

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2006
A Prize, for the Rest of Us

This is my kind of contest:

Grand Prize: A trip to space. Really! Be one of the first space tourists to revel in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Did I enter? Damned right I did. Which means nobody else can. I wanna win, ya know?

Posted by scott at 07:41 AM eMail this entry!
January 27, 2006
The Next Step in Wife Replacement?

Either that, or one less reason to have a child:

Japanese beer maker Asahi plans to give away 5000 personal bartending bots, each of which can store up to six cans of beer in a refrigerated compartment within its belly. At the push of a button the simple robots will open a can and pour the chilled contents into a glass for a thirsty owner.

Then again, you do have to load the thing from time to time, so I guess the wife and kids will come in handy, at least occasionally.

Oink oink oink.

Posted by scott at 12:47 PM eMail this entry!
"Unquiet" Abandonment

Fans of the decrepit and decayed (you know who you are) should find The Unquiet Tomb of interest. Pictures of old, abandoned tombs and other structures are interesting to me anyway. And really, what else is required?

Posted by scott at 09:35 AM eMail this entry!
January 24, 2006
Bits n' Pieces

Any article that starts like this, "These are gallstones," say Lenore Barbian. "They're from President Eisenhower.", has got to be worth at least a second glance, and this detailed article on the Smithsonian Institute's lesser-known collections and museums does not disappoint.

It's easy to forget that this grand museum complex was created in the heart of the 19th century, when empires and robber barons ruled the land and P.T. Barnum's museum was considered the benchmark of what such things should be. Certainly the PC-groupthink of the last thirty years of the 20th century scrubbed away the most colorful bits. But they weren't discarded, they're just hidden in obscure corners and hard-to-reach places. Knowing where to look is half the fun.

Posted by scott at 02:32 PM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2006
Eggciting News

While hope has pretty much been lost for Toga, a three-month-old Jackass penguin stolen from Amazon World zoo in the UK, the parents, at least, seem to have moved on:

The parents of a baby penguin, whose theft from a zoo just before Christmas attracted worldwide attention, have produced a new egg.

Something tells me this is going to be one safe little penguin baby.

Posted by scott at 01:43 PM eMail this entry!
January 20, 2006
Even More Fun with Bricks

And to think all I ever managed was to build various sized walls. By the time I was old enough to follow directions, I had moved to scale plastic models (which were a whole lot more popular back in the 70s). Plus my parents had gotten so sick of stepping on stray legos I think they'd banned them from the house.

Posted by scott at 12:18 PM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2006
Terror Toys

Hey, with descriptions like this, who wouldn't want one?

Shock wave generators are capable of producing focused acoustic or electromagnetic energy that can break up objects such as kidney stones and other similar materials. EMP generators can produce pulses of electromagnetic energy that can destroy the sensitive electronics in computers and microprocessors. Destabilized LCR circuits can produce multi megawatt pulses by using an explosive wire disruptive switch. These high power pulses can be coupled into antennas, conic sections, horns etc for very directional effects.

Funny thing is, one of these would probably fry the barely-functioning radio in the Spider, but otherwise it would start and drive off like nothing special had happened.

Well, when it starts, that is.

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2006
Zoom Zoom

I just received a note that there's finally a book out about Alfa's Tipo 33 prototype racers. These vehicles eventually dominated prototype racing in the mid-70s, winning two world championships, yet almost nothing has been written about them. Looks like that's finally changed.

I wonder if I can get them to send me a review copy?

Posted by scott at 11:36 AM eMail this entry!
Crash Bang Boom

Fark linked up this collection of high-speed "impact" pictures. All I can say is the person holding some of those objects is either really brave or really stupid!

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
January 15, 2006
Ooh... Ahh... Pretty... II

Ron gets a sleek n' sexy no-prize for bringing us this look at Ferrari's latest:

The Ferrari 599 GTB will have class-leading power thanks to its 5,999cc V12 (derived directly from the Enzo Ferrari supercar), a motor that produces no less than 620hp at 7,600 rpm for a weight/power ratio of just 2.6 kg per horsepower.

No price listed, but hey, it's a Ferrari. You can't have one.

Posted by scott at 12:12 PM eMail this entry!
January 13, 2006
Woooooo... Torpedoes! Away!

Jeff gets a red-and-white no-prize that sinks on purpose for bringing us news of the USS Razorback submarine exhibit at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum. Damned arkies are everywhere...

Posted by scott at 10:48 AM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2006
Paging Spaceman Spiff, White Courtesy Phone Please

Fark linked up this MSNBC article detailing recent progress on various "directed energy" weapons. The thing quickly turns into an advertisement for Boeing's airborne laser (ABL) project, and really seems to ignore where progress is actually being made. Aviation Week has been covering this stuff for literally years, and here's what they're talking about:

  • ABL is in a lot of trouble, primarily due to the classic defense contractor duo of cost overruns and schedule slips. They're way over budget now, and still have not flown a fully integrated test vehicle (as of two weeks ago anyway). Their laser works at lower powers, but full power ground tests have yet to be performed.
  • The Army's Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) is even worse off, with different sides seeming to compete with each other in who can cut the funding faster.
  • Lasers hold a lot of promise, but until someone can invent a solid-state laser powerful enough to do the job, conventional wisdom seems to hold they'll never be much more than toys.
  • Of far more interest, and much further along, are so-called high-power microwave devices (HPM). These weapons more or less invented themselves when it was discovered the Air Force's new hyper-sophisticated radar systems could be tuned to concentrate all their energy onto pinpoint targets.
  • Because of their nature, HPMs are the "beam weapons" we're actually going to field. It's difficult to get anyone to talk much about them, but there are some indications we're already using them in some ways in Iraq.
  • HPM technology is the leadeing candidate in proposed defense installations for civilian sites like airports. Hajji's manpat missle would simply be fried out of the air within a tenth of a second of launch. Of course, considering how efficient the FAA has been in deploying the stuff that keeps planes from doing more likely things like flying into each other, I wouldn't hold my breath on this one.
  • The main limitations of HPM are range and self-destruction. Actual numbers are classified, but apparently you need to get pretty close for these things to work against physical targets. Frying electronics is much easier, but making the beam directional enough that it doesn't fry your gear too is apparently something of a challenge.
  • Regardless, HPMs are most definitely on the way, scheduled to deploy on the next block of F/A-22 Raptors and all the F-35 JSFs.

All from memory, so YMMV. Personally, I want one with a "broast" setting.

Posted by scott at 08:49 AM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2006
Shower Silliness

The lone libertarian moderator on Fark linked up this bit of home-spun anarchy regarding how the government is regulating your bathroom:

... The Federal Energy Policy Act of 1992 mandates that "all faucet fixtures manufactured in the United States restrict maximum water flow at or below 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm) at 80 pounds per square inch (psi) of water pressure or 2.2 gpm at 60 psi."
...
Manufacturers must adhere to these regulations under penalty of law, and to be on the safe side, and adjust for high-water pressure systems, they typically undershoot. If you try your showers right now, you will probably find that they dispense water at 2 gallons per minute or even less. Together with other regulations concerning water pressure, your shower could fall to as low as 1.5 gallons per minute!
...
Warning: The following section is for information purposes only; I am not advocating egregious violations of federal law as some trouble-making rebel might. Do not endanger your status as a law-abiding citizen who takes wimpy showers.

We bought one of those fancy expensive "rainfall" showerheads when we moved into this house, which is when I learned about this. The thing came with convenient instructions on how to remove the blocker in question, but it wasn't that easy and I didn't want to screw up our new expensive showerhead. Two plus years later, I think it's time to take a screwdriver to it.

We also have to keep a plunger beside each toilet thanks to these regs. This in an area so well-served by water there's never been a burn ban or water conservation effort I've ever heard of.

But lord knows we gotta save the environment, so instead of using the market and local-level regulations to allow each region to handle their problems their own way, let's use the hundred-fifty pound sledge that is the federal government to solve the problem. Square pegs, meet round holes, and here comes the hammer.

Or plunger, as the case may be.

Posted by scott at 08:48 AM eMail this entry!
January 10, 2006
Definitely not Dead Yet

Let's all lick a "stamp" in celebration of Albert Hofmann's 100th birthday. Who's that, you ask? You'll probably be surprised:

LSD is an unlikely subject for a 100th birthday party. Yet the Swiss chemist who discovered the mind-altering drug and was its first human guinea pig is celebrating his centenary Wednesday — in good health and with plans to attend an international seminar on the hallucinogenic.

I don't celebrate his discovery of LSD, I celebrate his upcoming seventy-first wedding anniversary. Let's hear it for ladies willing to put up with eccentric loons!

Posted by scott at 07:11 PM eMail this entry!
BOOOOOBZ!!

Lookie what I found surfing the net! Get Yer Boobz!

Found via Daffodil Lane

I am so going to enter!

Posted by Ellen at 07:06 AM eMail this entry!
January 06, 2006
Nailing it

But is it art? I didn't even know the Baltic states had a fingernail art championship. What will they think of next?

Posted by scott at 03:42 PM eMail this entry!
OOOOOoo...

Slashdot linked up news of the unveiling of Tivo Series 3 boxes:

The unit has two CableCARD slots on the back and it will support Multi-Stream (CableCARD 2.0) or Single-Stream (CableCARD 1.0) cards. If you have multi-stream then you only need one card, but as long as only single stream cards are available you can use two of them. Yes, the unit is dual-tuner - actually, like the HD DirecTiVo it can use any two of the tuners it has, and it has six. 2 cable tuners, 2 ATSC tuners, and 2 NTSC tuners. Yes, it supports digital and analog cable, digital ATSC OTA, and analog NTSC OTA.

"Dual tuner" means (finally) watch one show, record another, keep all nifty Tivo features on both. Front controls! No more being stranded because Olivia stuffed the remote into one of her pillows. CableCARD means no cable boxes! Plug your Tivo in, slot the card, and you get whatever channels you want whenever you want them. I detest cable boxes, always have, so this is a very interesting feature for me.

Sha. Like I don't already watch too much TV. Price TBD, which probably means "expensive", but dude... NO CABLE BOX!!!

Drool...

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2006
Listing the List's List's List

BBCnews is carrying this list of "100 things we didn't know this time last year". While understandably UK-centric, it's still a vertiable font of usesless but interesting information. I mean, where else would you learn it's possible to blow up baloons with your ears? Olivia will be very impressed with that one.

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
January 02, 2006
Cha-Ching II

Canon fans will probably be interested in double and triple mail-in rebates available until 1-15-2006. Includes (some) printers!

Posted by scott at 02:32 PM eMail this entry!
December 29, 2005
Purple Passion

As long as it doesn't show up on a home shopping channel somewhere, I should be OK:

A clam that a Portsmouth, R.I. couple thought was rotten turned out to hold a rare gem: a purple pearl that could be worth lots of money.

If only nature could produce a clam that'd make something useful... you know, Mavic wheels or Speedplay pedals.

Posted by scott at 02:07 PM eMail this entry!
December 23, 2005
Mythbusters Revealed

Slashdot sent a fistful of questions to Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman (stars of the show Mythbusters), and now they've finally answered back.

I've loved the show from the start; who doesn't like to watch stuff get blown up in the name of science? I do sometimes worry what their insurance rates must be, and I sure wouldn't want to be on the cleanup crew.

Posted by scott at 08:59 AM eMail this entry!
When the Naughty are Nice

Fark linked up news that PHE, the parent company of mail-order adult vendor Adam and Eve, recently received a "business of the year" award from its home town. This whole Christmas spirit thing seems to be breaking out everywhere this year!

Posted by scott at 08:08 AM eMail this entry!
December 22, 2005
~ Alls I Wants for Christmas is Some Triple-A ~

Well, not exactly triple-A, I just couldn't think of a Christmas song that'd rhyme with "SAM":

With these USB-powered air darts, you can shoot to annoy. Just hook the contraption up to your PC and control the darts' aim and firing mechanism with your mouse.

Via IFOC.

Posted by scott at 02:43 PM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2005
My Chimp Babies

The Primate Rescue Center houses seven former LEMSIP chimpanzees: Martina, Ike, Noelle, Rodney, Jenny, Cory, and Pozna. (An eighth animal, a female named O-Soy became critically ill shortly after she arrived in KY, and later died of an undetermined gastrointestinal ailment at LEMSIP, where she was taken for treatment.)

I worked with these chimps. I do remember O-Soy with a fondness, since she was the one that decided that my arm was a chew toy at one point. I am sad that she is gone.

Posted by Ellen at 08:46 PM eMail this entry!
A Table, for the Rest of Us

For the bar-brawler who has everything, the ultimate in multifunctional furniture.

This would be problematic in my house, as I'd have to un-stack snakes, giant vaporizers, clock radios, and/or clothing just to get to it.

Posted by scott at 09:03 AM eMail this entry!
December 20, 2005
More Shoes Dropping

Thud, redux:

"Intelligent design" cannot be mentioned in biology classes in a Pennsylvania public school district, a federal judge said Tuesday, ruling in one of the biggest courtroom clashes on evolution since the 1925 Scopes trial.

For the exact same reasons I wrote about earlier:

Jones wrote that he wasn't saying the intelligent design concept shouldn't be studied and discussed, saying its advocates "have bona fide and deeply held beliefs which drive their scholarly endeavors."

But, he wrote, "our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to teach ID as an alternative to evolution in a public school science classroom."

It's not science. You want to teach it, try the philosophy or religious studies classes. Or, even better, how about your church?

Posted by scott at 11:47 AM eMail this entry!
December 16, 2005
Turtle Tooth Trick

Fark linked up news of a most original operation on a turtle:

Hermie the Turtle's little defective beak made meal time a struggle. Unable to close his mouth completely, the tiny 20-gram reptile's very existence was at stake.

But today, this map turtle has a new lease on life thanks to the work of two doctors who outfitted young Hermie with braces. Now, some are calling the orthodontic work a Christmas miracle.

Our own tortoise is eating quite merrily nowadays, totally ignoring the fascinated cats and woman peering down at him from above.

Posted by scott at 09:25 AM eMail this entry!
December 14, 2005
Progression

Like the saying goes: time marches on.

Via Mahmood.

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
The Color of History

While giving my brain a rest from making OpenLDAP talk to a MySQL server (what can I say, I'm a masochist), I found this nifty on-line exhibit of color photographs from 1939-1943. I'd become so accustomed to the perception crutch of "black-and-white photography = history" that some of these photos were almost breathtaking to me in their immediacy. They really were just folks, like us.

But long, long gone...

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2005
Training Time

Good for a few minutes of distraction at any rate: Jedi Training. Note: simple game, completely SFW.

Posted by scott at 02:28 PM eMail this entry!
December 10, 2005
Winning Lessons

Instapundit linked up this in-depth analysis of developing strategies and tactics in what is now being called "Operation Iraqi Freedom II":

In OIF II, as it is called in the military ranks, American forces face an enemy employing classic insurgent tactics: ambushing American troops on the roads, intimidating fledgling Iraqi security forces, assassinating Iraqi government officials and terrorizing the population with random car bombings. There have also been pitched battles in cities, including two in Fallujah. But, led by those doing the fighting and the dying, American forces are learning some critical lessons about employing new tactics and new technology. These hard-won insights may influence how long the insurgency will last and how the United States will fight in future conflicts.

The article goes on to detail an extremely positive feature of this conflict... the empowerment of the "strategic corporal." One of the few things nearly everyone agrees contributed to the debacle of Vietnam was the concentration of authority at the highest levels. Johnson picking targets from the Rose Garden, rules of engagement so rigid targets had to be tracked for hours before they were "legal" to hit, that sort of thing. By giving authority to those closest to the action and most familiar with the situations on the ground, we go a very long way to ensuring the right decisions are made, the right force applied, and the right people removed.

Which is, of course, how wars are won.

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
December 09, 2005
More Happy Dancing

Shamelessly copying a concept from the host of this website, I've added a status blog to my live network monitor at work. Wordpress this time instead of MT (mostly because the host uses WP... did I mention the "shameless" part?), but darned if it didn't go straight on without too much of a fuss.

Let that be a lesson to you up-and-coming linux users... when performing your own install, always include all the development tools, MySQL, PHP, Java, and every stinking option that comes with Apache, even if you think you'll never ever use them. Trust me, you will.

Yeah, I know it's Greek to most of you, but hey, look at it this way, I might be talking about bicycles.

Which reminds me, I jus--

@#$U(@#$

NO CARRIER

Posted by scott at 02:33 PM eMail this entry!
Paging Tom Hanks, White Courtesy Phone Please

Now you, too, can own your very own giant piano keyboard. Way cooler than the giant Barbie dolls everyone threatens to give Olivia for Christmas. I mean, hey, if you're going to get a toy you got no place to put, might as well go all-out, knowha'a'mean?

Posted by scott at 01:36 PM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2005
Doing the Happy Dance

It only took six weeks (on and off) and three reloads, but I gots me a functioning Nagios monitoring system now. Works with NT and Linux.

Well, it works with all my Linux boxen and the 2k3 mail server. They're the healthiest systems on the net. Getting it monitoring the old geezers will be the next challenge.

WoOt!

Posted by scott at 04:07 PM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2005
Snoopy Facts

Fark linked up this collection of trivia about the Charlie Brown Christmas show. Which is on tonight. Guess who's staying up late?

Posted by scott at 12:51 PM eMail this entry!
Toy Time

So, how many of the most popular toys of the last 100 years do you remember playing with? Olivia's all about Barbie, although last night she did pick up a standard "big helicopter" toy. Made daddy's heart jump, it did. And it wasn't even pink!

Posted by scott at 09:36 AM eMail this entry!
December 05, 2005
Woo-Doff... Weah ah Yoo?

So says Olivia nearly every day now that she was allowed to stay up late and watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the 1964 Rankin/Bass holiday classic. While we enjoyed it for its own sake that night, I also found that (as usual) there's a lot more to the story than just the show itself. Shows me just how funny memory can be. Ellen and I both know "Misfits" very well, even though the special apparently wasn't shown with this song (in our lifetimes at least) until 1998. I do seem to vaguely recall "Fame and Fortune", but this could simply be back-referencing.

Great. Now I'll have all those songs booming around in my head the rest of the day. Sigh...

Posted by scott at 04:01 PM eMail this entry!
But Where's the Gatling Gun?

Ron gets a no-prize shaped like a puma for bringing us evidence that someone in the design department of Peugeot has been playing Halo recently. Something tells me you can't just dump this one down a cliff and flip it upright at the bottom.

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
WWLD?

Carrie gets a warm & fuzzy no-prize for causing us to ask the question, "What Would Linus Do?"

A lightweight, non-woven blanket engineered by a South Carolina company is keeping disaster victims dry and warm from the Gulf Coast to the mountains of Pakistan to the tsunami-ravaged areas of Southeast Asia.

The blanket developed by the Polymer Group Inc. is warmer than traditional blankets woven of cotton or wool. One side is soft and provides comfort next to the body; the other has a backing to provide a barrier from moisture, dirt and debris.

Keep this one in mind next time some dippy enviro-weenie starts ranting about the evils of the modern chemical industry.

Posted by scott at 09:26 AM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2005
They Really Do Have the Best Stuff

French-fry cupholder adapter, anyone? Just in time for Christmas!

Whenever we fly Ellen fairly rips the Skymall catalog out of the seat pocket and then pours over it during the flight, steals it, and keeps it by the bathtub for months afterward. Now that they have their own website, I'll probably never see her again.

Posted by scott at 01:04 PM eMail this entry!
Club Rules

Jason over at Countercolumn wrote up his own personal rules of musicianship, which should be of interest to at least one reader out there. Everyone else... well, I didn't understand some of it, but the rest was definitely informative!

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2005
A Keg Fridge, for the Rest of Us

Four words: Linux powered keg fridge:

Since the first brew fan installed a tap on the spare fridge and stuffed a keg inside, one question has been paramount: "Who's been drinking all the beer?"

Mike Wakerly's keg fridge will tell you. It'll also estimate the drinker's blood alcohol level and post it to a Web page; log his consumption for the night, week or month (and cut him off if you like); and keep track of his tab. The Kegbot can even send you a text message when the beer supply runs low.

A CO2 keg fridge was the Holy Grail of my college years, but new ones were too expensive and we didn't have the raw materials/power tools to create one ourselves. Instead we made due with a 33-gallon trash can filled with ice and a CO2 dispenser rig my room-mate stole from the football stadium. The floor in my dorm closet nearly rotted through and my room-mate got arrested trying to return an empty cannister, but damn that beer was cold!

Ah, good times, good times.

Posted by scott at 12:47 PM eMail this entry!
November 29, 2005
Like Shark Repellant, for Teens

Why yell at them to get off your lawn when you can have a device do it for you:

The device, called the Mosquito ("It's small and annoying," [inventor] Stapleton said), emits a high-frequency pulsing sound that, he says, can be heard by most people younger than 20 and almost no one older than 30. The sound is designed to so irritate young people that after several minutes, they cannot stand it and go away.

Finally something that will keep Nina off the computer when we visit New York!

Posted by scott at 12:00 PM eMail this entry!
Pratchett Patter

Fark linked up this excellent interview with Terry Pratchett. He actually appeared at a book store less than 100 feet from where I work, but I was at Virginia Beach at the time. Bugger.

Posted by scott at 08:08 AM eMail this entry!
November 28, 2005
Whatabargain!

Ron gets a no-prize that'll go anywhere for bringing us news of the ultimate hybrid, a land-water sports... rmm... bar? Coat? CarBoat? Yours for only $150,000!

Definitely brings a new meaning to "land yacht".

Posted by scott at 09:23 AM eMail this entry!
November 22, 2005
Robin Hood to the Rescue

New Scientist's weekly patent round up is lead by an innovative way to clear mines:

[Ratheon] has developed a shell containing hundreds of steel "arrows" – 155 millimetres long and 15 mm in diameter – that can trigger landmines with a single shot.

Each rod has a flared rear end, like the feathers of an arrow, and hundreds can be packed into a single cylindrical shell. This shell can be lobbed into a mined area and just before impact a charge behind the arrows will fire them downwards. The metal flights will keep the arrows on a straight course so that they pepper the area at high velocity and at regular spaces.

I wouldn't want to be standing under it when it went off, but if it gets rid of mines without adding explosives I'm all for it!

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2005
Bank Shot

Slashdot linked up news that soon you'll be able to watch Tivo'd programs on an iPod and/or a PSP:

TiVo Inc., trying to expand its reach beyond the living room, plans to give subscribers a way to transfer recorded TV shows to Apple's video iPod and Sony's PlayStation Portable.

The pioneering digital video recording company, based in Alviso, plans to announce today that it is working on a service upgrade that will automatically transfer shows from a TiVo recorder to a computer, which then can send those shows to a video iPod or PlayStation Portable.

Sounds a little fiddly to me, but most of the early adopters of these gadgets probably like to tinker with them, if only a little. Hey, a Tivo only costs $50 right now; what are you waiting for?

Posted by scott at 02:15 PM eMail this entry!
Mirror Mirror

Problem: Your 14th century ancestors located your village literally in the shadow of a mountain to avoid marauding raiders, which no longer exist, leaving you stuck in a town with no sunlight during the winter.

Solution: Mirrors:

... 30 heliostats, essentially rotating mirrors, mounted on a hillside to grab sunshine off reflectors from the neighbouring village of Kramsach.

Bartenbach Lichtlabor GmbH, the Austrian company behind the idea, has already used mirrors for lighting projects around the world - sunshine into European basements and railroad stations or nighttime illumination of a mosque in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

They're not going to light up the whole town, that would take too many mirrors. Instead their plan is to create "sunspots", front-yard-sized areas of sunlight that will get moved from place to place during the season.

Posted by scott at 09:55 AM eMail this entry!
November 19, 2005
Old Sound

Slashdot linked up news that a museum in California has made 5000 cylinder recordings available for downloading. The collection contains recordings from the 1890s to the 1920s, all restored using state-of-the-art equipment. Music history buffs, enjoy!

Posted by scott at 09:11 AM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2005
Zubble Zubble Toil and Trouble

Slashdot linked up this Popular Science article detailing a simple concept that turned out to be damned difficult to execute: colored bubbles. Better still, the solution could end up revolutionizing whole industries that revolve around paint, dye, or color in general.

Science and free markets. Ain't they grand?

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
November 17, 2005
Gotta Get Me Some of This

Most guys would consider nose sprays grody. Most guys would be wrong:

A new nasal spray aphrodisiac for women that works in minutes may soon hit the market, according to a Local 6 News report.

Doctors said women who used the drug PT-141 in test studies felt a tingling or throbbing followed by a strong desire to have sex immediately after spraying their noses.

Yeah, I know, reeks (as it were) of hoax. But hey, I can dream, can't I?

Posted by scott at 07:44 PM eMail this entry!
November 16, 2005
Focus Time

New Scientist is carrying this report on the development of a digital camera that can focus pictures after you take them. Now if they could just come up with one that gets people to buy the prints you make...

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2005
Goonie Who?

While I was a little too old for it to matter, readers slightly younger may find this "where are they now? Goonies" article interesting. Actually quite a large number of the kids went on to much bigger and better things.

Posted by scott at 02:23 PM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2005
What will They Think of Next?

I do so love this country:

The company that sped up pulls of draft beer at sports stadiums around the country with its Turbo Tap nozzle is bringing the technology to rec rooms across America.

Laminar Technologies LLC has outfitted six sports arenas including U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago and some 30 Chicago bars, receiving fawning media coverage. Time magazine lists the gadget as one of the coolest inventions of 2005 in an issue that hits newsstands Monday.

I'd be next in line, except Ellen seems to be under the impression that refridgerators should be used to store food and not giant kegs of beer. People and their priorities, I tell ya...

Posted by scott at 02:05 PM eMail this entry!
A Gun, for the Rest of Us

I mean, what's not to love:

Hence, the SP9004 now in true operating form, optimized over the past several years. Pure oxygen and propane fueled, laser sighted, bolt action, electrically controlled....This is one awesome piece of launching ordinance! It shoots spuds quite fast and is VERY cool looking.

Yes, spuds. This, friends, is no ordinary cannon, but a super-powered potato cannon. If that doesn't make your toes tingle, you're just not paying attention.

Posted by scott at 08:19 AM eMail this entry!
November 12, 2005
Supercoupe!

While not exactly a kit car, this Camaro "recreation" should raise some eyebrows:

The reincarnation of a muscle-car era team that specialized in making high-performance Chevrolets has brought the reincarnation of the Camaro itself. This time, they're making their own Camaros from scratch with bodies designed with the help of a 22-year-old California car artist.

The look of the new Baldwin-Motion 540 Camaro SuperCoupe calls to mind the the 1969 Camaro, but this is a bigger, broader two-seat monster. The SuperCoupe is powered by a 700-horsepower V-8 engine.

Just think Nina, it's a car you can get in an accident with really fast!

Posted by scott at 08:40 AM eMail this entry!
November 10, 2005
Funky Dance

How you dance when you have no bones.

Posted by Ellen at 08:48 PM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2005
Sound Blaster

Making the rounds: it would appear the pirates in the recently reported cruise ship attack may have been driven away by a "sonic weapon":

The Seabourn Spirit had a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, installed as a part of its defense systems, said Bruce Good, a spokesman for Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line. The Spirit was about 100 miles off Somalia when pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns as they tried to get onboard.

The subsidiary of Carnival Corp. was investigating whether the weapon was successful in warding off the pirates, he said. The ship's captain also changed its course, shifted into high speed and headed out into the open sea to elude the pirates, who were in two small boats, he said. He had no further details.

Maybe I'll get one for my bike. That'll get their attention!

Posted by scott at 11:47 AM eMail this entry!
November 05, 2005
Ooh... Ahh... Pretty... II

J. Hansen gets a most honorable no-prize for reminding me of new developments concerning my other obsession:

The ItalDesign-styled [Alfa Romeo] Brera concept coupe that was shown at Geneva in 2002 was such a hit that both this new 2+2 coupe--the successor to the GTV--and the new 159 ape the styling.

Assuming Alfa ever makes it back, everyone is now saying they'll be bringing this thing with them. Unfortunately the rumored price point (around $40,000) will put it far out of my range. Still, I can dream, can't I?

Posted by scott at 01:35 PM eMail this entry!
November 03, 2005
Patents! Get Yer Fresh Hot Patents Here!

Slashdot linked up another round of creative patent applications. The highlight? Coffee beer. Coming to a Starbucks near you?

Posted by scott at 10:53 AM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2005
Antisniper

Wired is carrying this article summarizing an innovative new tech that makes a sniper's job much more difficult:

A sniper fires on American troops in Iraq. In the milliseconds before the bullet hits -- in fact, before the shot is even heard -- a computer screen reveals the gun's model and exact location. That's the kind of intelligence that can save soldiers' lives. The Army is currently testing the technology in combat.

The devices are made by Radiance Technologies, a small Alabama company, and differ in their approach to gunfire detection from systems already deployed in Iraq that rely on acoustics. Radiance's invention, WeaponWatch, is powered by infrared sensors that detect missiles or gunfire at the speed of light.

See a problem, solve a problem. Now if we can just get better with those IEDs...

Posted by scott at 10:04 AM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2005
Women Admire The Flexability, Men Fantasize What They Want To Do To Her
Posted by Ellen at 05:33 PM eMail this entry!
October 28, 2005
It's Gizmoriffic!

Pat gets a fiddly no-prize for bringing us this review of the latest in "fusion" technologies, the Olive Symphony. I've read about this thing before, but not quite in so much detail. At $800, it's too rich for me (for now). However, there are a lot of extra-cost items, like a wireless access point, which could be deleted to reduce the price. Hopefully it'll be successful enough to pay down their R&D investment, allowing them to eventually cut the price and still remain profitable.

Then again, those stupid iPod things are still what, more than $300?

Posted by scott at 12:24 PM eMail this entry!
Lost and Found

Instapundit linked up this site dedicated to pictures developed from film found in lost cameras. Some of the images date back to the late 30s, and all are completely anonymous.

Before Ellen switched over to digital, she lost as many rolls of film as she got developed. Maybe it's time to go on a cannister hunt...

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2005
At Least Cat Pee Won't Hurt it

To words: octopus table. Looks like one helluva skilled set of artists over there. Heck, if they use casting, some of it might not even cost all that much!

Posted by scott at 11:49 AM eMail this entry!
October 26, 2005
Green Car Show

Ron gets an efficient but somewhat strange looking no-prize for bringing us this report on the Tokyo auto show. The big stars this year? Hybrids and fuel cell cars.

Posted by scott at 02:19 PM eMail this entry!
~ Made me a Big Star / Paid off My House ~

Will it ever end?

It's a "Star Wars" fan's dream -- the first public display of props and costumes from all six films in the series, including a replica cockpit of Han Solo's asteroid-battered Millennium Falcon.

But the $5 million exhibit goes beyond entertainment and turns "Star Wars" into a educational tool for science and technology, fields in which U.S. dominance faces a challenge from a new generation of engineers in Asia.

It's being hosted in Boston. Hmm... Ellen has a sister in Boston. Grab the kids honey, we're goin' on a road trip!

Posted by scott at 10:05 AM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2005
Romp-omp-a-Stomp

While I think we may have linked up the latest in robot stomping technology in the past, I don't recall seeing any video of it before today. Which, once you view it, makes a bit of sense. It did seem to turn, with an alarming amount of wobble, but it never seemed to actually walk. Which is, of course, pretty much the whole point.

Posted by scott at 02:11 PM eMail this entry!
To the Tower with You!

BBCnews linked up news of a peculiar find at the Tower of London:

Two lion skulls unearthed at the Tower of London have been dated to Medieval times, shedding light on the lost institution of the "Royal Menagerie".

It also shows the relationship between England's early monarchs and the "king of beasts" was not just a symbolic one.

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2005
Feel Good

The latest single from the Gorillaz.

Animation goodness!

Posted by Ellen at 06:47 PM eMail this entry!
Make that 102 uses

Fark linked up proof that you really can do absolutely anything at all with Jello. Hey, at least that version of San Francisco is supposed to liquify if you jiggle it hard enough.

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
October 21, 2005
Natural Wonders

Nature photographers in the audience should like BBCnews's coverage of Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. With (of course) pictures!

Posted by scott at 11:53 AM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2005
I Find Your Lack of Surf Disturbing

Others think it's a James Bond boat. Me, if it's not a complete hoax, I think it looks like something Vader himself would drive. It was most definitely designed by a guy, I can tell you that.

Posted by scott at 02:29 PM eMail this entry!
Skulldiggery

Fans of Congressional Cemetery in DC and others interested in forensic anthropology should find this Washington Post article of interest:

The mystery of the missing skull is a macabre tale that includes grave-robbing, an eccentric collector, a Washington politician, a former attorney general and a mysterious skull sitting in an old tin box.

It all began around Christmas of 2003, when Bill Fecke, then manager of Washington's Congressional Cemetery, got a phone call from a man who wouldn't identify himself.

"What do you know about William Wirt's skull?" the mysterious caller asked.

Considering the uneven maintenance this cemetery has received over the years, I'm actually surprised this sort of thing doesn't happen more often.

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2005
Unwanted Visitor

mantis.jpg

This creature was attacking Ajax today. We came home from work and this bug was on my floor jumping on top of Ajax in attempts to decapitate him and eat him up! This is the second BIG mantis I have had in my garden this year. Or yet, it could be the very same one!

Posted by Ellen at 05:51 PM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2005
See ya, Scotty!

Slashdot linked up news that Jimmy Doohan's remains are scheduled to be launCHed into space. It really doesn't get more appropriate than that. You would've thought they'd find a better picture of him though.

Posted by scott at 01:05 PM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2005
Eat @ Joes

New Scientist is carrying this summary of a nifty new technology pioneered by the Seimens (shaddup Ron) group:

Researchers at the firm have developed a printable interactive display with a similar thickness to paper.

"A pillbox could display instructions for how [the pills] should be taken and provide this information in several languages with the push of a button," says Siemens spokesman Norbert Aschenbrenner. "Admission tickets for trade shows could indicate the booths where various exhibitors are located."

Assuming manufacturing techniques move forward as planned, we should start seeing these things some time in 2007.

Posted by scott at 01:06 PM eMail this entry!
Doing the Windows

The Washington Post today carried this article detailing the efforts around the restoration of the stained glass windows of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres. Amazing to think most of it's nearly a thousand years old now.

Posted by scott at 10:26 AM eMail this entry!
October 13, 2005
Best. Handgrenade. Use. Evar.

Of course the NY Times would call it an insurgent washing machine.

Note: Disturbing only if you have an appliance fetish, but there is a lot of whooping and swearing. Probably should turn the sound down if that sort of thing would get you in trouble.

Posted by scott at 03:47 PM eMail this entry!
October 12, 2005
Wine Time

Fark linked up news about a machine that claims to be a kind of time machine for wine:

It may sound far-fetched, but the ultra-competitive wine industry is taking no chances.Wineries in California, South America and other parts of the new and old wine worlds are taking a close interest in Mr Tanaka’s machine, and several are already testing it. The machine works by pumping wine and tap water through a specially designed electrolysis chamber equipped with wafer-thin platinum electrodes. The water and the wine are separated by an ion exchange membrane — the key component, for which Tanaka holds the patent.

Hopefully coming to a box near you!

Posted by scott at 11:57 AM eMail this entry!
Chasin' the Truth

Fark linked up even more nifty storm photos, which include a warning that, while spectacular, they are not from hurricane Katrina. Apparently some folks think they are. Because everyone knows New Orleans is covered in bean fields, right?

Posted by scott at 08:57 AM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2005
Virtual Drive

Fark linked up an article that attempts to explore one of those age-old nerd questions: is a video game simulation useful experience for the real world? The answer, a qualified yes, has much more to do with a lack of consequences than it does with a lack of feedback.

Having watched resident vid game jock Damion pinball his way around the virtual Laguna Seca a time or two, this seems quite reasonable.

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2005
Shadenfreud

Me, at the end of the game: "You know what would be worse than the Redskins getting their streak broken?"

Ellen: "What?"

Me: "If the goddamned Cowboys won."

Ah well. I enjoyed my 3-0 streak, you enjoy your win and our congratulations. Somehow I think neither of us will have much to crow about from this point out.

Meh, there's always next year!

Freaky "Oh but my 'Boys will break all spacetime, probability, and causality laws to end up in the Superbowl while peeing on the burgundy-and-gold" trufan comment in 3... 2... 1...

(don't worry... he's utterly delusional, but he's still our friend.)

Posted by scott at 05:36 PM eMail this entry!
Dock of the Dead

Fark linked up this site dedicated to pictures of the Staten Island Boat Graveyard, an "open air disposal" site for various kinds of ships. My brother Jeff might be able to make better judgements, but from the looks of them I'd say the place has been in use for at least a century. The guy has a lot of guts to scampering around on those old hulks!

Posted by scott at 08:42 AM eMail this entry!
October 07, 2005
Soopa City

Pipe dream, or the future, now? Considering the hit-and-miss nature of "futuristic" cities that actually get built (think Brasillia), I'm not so sure I'd sign up for a condo. Then again, Hong Kong and Singapore are about as out there as it gets, at least in places. If they build it, maybe they will come.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2005
Mark Your Calendars

The next DARPA challenge is scheduled to begin this Saturday. Since it's on a weekend, maybe I'll get to see a bit of it this time around. Hopefully there will be more than a bit of it to see this time around :).

Posted by scott at 02:46 PM eMail this entry!
The Anti-Hoax

Moms and Grammas especially should find Vmyths.com of interest. It purports to be a clearninghouse of all computer virus-related myths and hoaxes. It also includes a nice "how to spot a hoax" section.

You might think it's all common sense, but if the contents of my inbox are any indication, you'd be wrong.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2005
Funnyboats!

Ron gets a sail-driven no-prize for bringing us news that the sport of "speed sailing" is heating up again. Unfortunately I only had time to skim the article (shocking, I know), but from the intro it sure does sound interesting.

Posted by scott at 11:51 AM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2005
Rocket Racing!

Hey man, it just don't get no better than this:

A new racing league which will see rocket-powered planes blasting around virtual racetracks in the sky was announced on Monday. It is also hoped that computer gamers at home will be able to pit their skills against the pilots in real time.
...
The space-age Formula One vehicles will be based on a rocketplane designed and demonstrated by California-based XCOR Aerospace, called the EZ Rocket. The first race is scheduled for a year from now in New Mexico.

The real trick will, of course, be sponsorship. If they can get a really big company to fund it, this thing could really, well, take off.

Posted by scott at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
Insert Mouse-Related Nursery Rhyme Here

The Washington Post today ran this nifty article on the ins and outs of what must be one of the more unusual jobs around... the head timekeeper for the 500+ clocks of Parliament. Among those are centuries-old priceless antiques, as well as the biggest one of all, The Great Westminster Clock, more commonly (and incorrectly) known as Big Ben.

Posted by scott at 08:15 AM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2005
Adopted Baby

Everyone say "Awww..."

A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise, in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said.

Read story here.

Posted by Ellen at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
September 30, 2005
Couldn't make a Certain Team Play any Worse

They won't have to worry as much about false starts either. All kidding aside, pretty darned amazing that a guy with no legs is out there hustling for the ball. Since Dan Snyder seems to hire anything that can carry a football, I'm expecting him in gold and burgundy any day now.

Posted by scott at 10:35 AM eMail this entry!
Castles in the Sand

Pat gets a no-prize in a bucket for bringing us news on scientific research about Olivia's favorite beach item... sand castles:

Anyone who has built sandcastles learns they hold up best if a little water is mixed with the building material. But until now scientists couldn’t agree why.

Water holds grains of sand together by forming “liquid-bridges” between the contact points of the grains, a new study finds. The tension forces of the bridges creates an attractive force between the grains that is absent in dry sand.

The article also includes the "magic formula" for the best castle-building sand.

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2005
B'caus I Oolwayz Wanted ta be an Ahntrapahnoowah

Slashdot linked up yet another list of cool patents. I personally like the rocket blimp.

Posted by scott at 09:53 AM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2005
~ Know When to Walk Away / Know When to Run ~

Pat gets a jackpot of a no-prize for bringing us news of a gamble with one helluva payoff:

The city of Biloxi, home to a dozen floating casinos smashed by Hurricane Katrina, took a gamble that paid off.

Two months before the storm struck Aug. 29, the coastal town of 50,000 secured an insurance policy against a catastrophic event like a hurricane disrupting its stream of gambling revenue.

If it had been anything else... say, fire insurance, or maybe a stock sale, there'd probably be a whole lot of noise about corruption. As it stands, all the busybodies and opposition leaders can do is sit back and wonder.

Posted by scott at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2005
AUUUPP!!!

Niel over at Armor Geddon is at it again, this time giving us a look from the tank loader's seat:

I slapped the clip that retains the round and the back end of a HEAT round squeezed out a few inches. I grabbed the end and pulled it out. Somewhere along the way, I gashed my right index finger open. It was a blunt injury so it was numb as the skin peeled and bled everywhere. I shoved the round in the tube and popped the lever up.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I screamed as I made myself as narrow as possible. It was the longest, loudest “UP” in the history of tanking. And if someone saw me in the loader’s station, it would like Owen Wilson in Shanghai Noon trying to hide behind a little wooden beam as he was getting shot at in the church. I was straight up and down with my arms pinned to my sides and my chin in my chest. Go ahead, laugh. The gun fired, the afcap dropped with the sound of a pot falling to the ground, and the breech dropped. I opened the ready rack door and repeated my mission. By the third round, I was dripping with sweat from my forehead. My CVC was feeling extremely humid and my hand started to hurt finally. This continued for 9 more rounds. It was exhausting. While Stoker was going to town with the main gun, SSG Terry was letting loose with his machine gun still. And it’s typically the loader’s job to refill the ammo on the TC’s gun(even though I do it myself on my own tank). .50cal ammo isn’t heavy but it is by no means light. And replacing can after can in the middle of loading main gun rounds was making me break a sweat.

I respect those guys, but don't think I could ever do their job. I can't even repair a bicycle without getting my hands caught in the spokes.

Posted by scott at 01:37 PM eMail this entry!
Imax of Interest

Space.com is carrying this report on the premiere of what should be a really nifty IMAX film, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D. Since it's showing locally, I might even get to see it!

Posted by scott at 12:04 PM eMail this entry!
Storm Chasin'

Fark linked up this collection of really neat photos from a recent Kansas storm chase. Again, definitely a vacation Ellen will be doing solo some day!

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2005
Edible Art

It's all apples.

Posted by Ellen at 01:17 PM eMail this entry!
TA-DA!!

Paul Cannon and Jonah Spear of the Trapeze School New York were being hailed as heroes Friday after making a daring leap into the Hudson River to rescue a man who appeared to be drowning.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 01:07 PM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2005
Should Make the Pit Crews a Lot Happier

Fark linked up news that the Indy Racing League is switching to 100% ethanol fuel over the next two years. Since they currently use methanol, there's not much of an engineering challenge involved. While it's certain to give the alternative-fuels crowd a warm-n'-fuzzy, it still doesn't get around the fact that, without subsidies, ethanol is far more expensive to produce than oil-derived fuels. Well, it was about four years ago, which is the last time I read any studies on it. Now that oil is well over $50 a barrel, this may not be quite as true.

Personally I'd have no trouble with it if they'd repeal the hefty subsidies (in effect, causing us to already pay for ethanol production) and let the market decide. Otherwise it's simply an interesting publicity stunt from a racing series that, until this season, has done little more than turn left very very fast.

Posted by scott at 01:41 PM eMail this entry!
September 23, 2005
Actually, We Might Use This One

I don't know what you'd call this for sure, but we might pick one up. Olivia likes pizza, but the slices are a little too big for her. Plus there's that annoying tendency for the kitchen to undercut the pie, forcing you to tear it apart.

Posted by scott at 03:30 PM eMail this entry!
Trick or Eat

2005 Halloween candy, get ya 2005 Halloween candy here! This'll probably be the last year we sit at home and hand out candy. Expect yet another cat-themed Olivia this year. Then again, she's becoming a huge fan of dress-up, so there's a decent chance of a looming wardrobe battle. We'll see!

Posted by scott at 01:51 PM eMail this entry!
Medieval Manner

Pat gets a cloistered no-prize for bringing us this detailed look at a new exhibit hosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art:

"Prague: The Crown of Bohemia, 1347-1437" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is an adventure. It's one of those shows you go to not at all sure what you're in for, and when you find out, you're floored, because it's so beautiful, and so familiar, and so strange.

The title sets out the exhibition's coordinates. Prague puts us in Central Europe; the dates put us in the Middle Ages, specifically the High Gothic period. And that's where the adventure starts, because we can see at a glance that Gothic in Bohemia is not the Gothic we find elsewhere.

Posted by scott at 12:17 PM eMail this entry!
All in (F) One

Ron gets a spectacularly fast and ridiculously expensive no-prize for letting us know today's wikipedia main page is all about Formula One racing. It's all there, from the history to the teams to the drivers and everything in between. Don't just sit there, learn something!

Posted by scott at 09:30 AM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2005
Even More Gotta Get Me One of These

Fully automated sentry BB gun, anyone?

The idea of this project was to create a fully-automated sentry gun, capable of picking out a human target and accurately tracking and shooting him or her in the heart. Really, the idea was to find a cool robotics project for the summer while I was working at an advertising agency, and I'd only ever seen sentry guns in movies (like Congo) and video games (Half-Life 1, Half-Life 2, Team Fortress Classic).

So what if the list of useless guy-projects I have is getting long? Building this stuff is half the fun!

Posted by scott at 02:59 PM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2005
It's ALL Ice!

Winter is comming!

Posted by Ellen at 04:26 PM eMail this entry!
September 07, 2005
Invention Time

New Scientist is carrying this quick round-up of three patent applications for some pretty nifty gear. That is, if any of it makes it into production.

Posted by scott at 10:50 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2005
So That's What He Looks Like

In a world..:

You've probably never seen him. His name might not ring an immediate bell. But chances are you've heard this man speak more than any other actor on the planet. Why? Because he owns the deep, sonorous and impossibly solemn voice you hear almost every time you've watched a movie trailer.

Interview seems to be a year or two old, but I'd never seen it.

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
Finders Keepers

Sometimes it's good to go through the closet once in awhile:

Workers sorting through party rental costumes at a London fancy dress shop have discovered the original Obi Wan Kenobi robe worn by the actor Sir Alec Guinness in the film "Star Wars", the shop said on Tuesday.

The robe was stored for years in a warehouse by film costume company Angels and Bermans before ending up with a batch of old monks' outfits in the company's high street party rental shop, manager Emma Angel said.

I wonder if Olivia's big enough to be a Jawa for Halloween?

Posted by scott at 01:53 PM eMail this entry!
September 02, 2005
Virtual Art

Joshua gets a slowly manifesting no-prize for bringing us this nifty "how it's done" bit of virtual painting.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
HEEERRRREE BIRDY BIRDY BIRDY... *CHOMP*

What do you get when you give a clever sea mammal nothing much to do for most of the day? A seagull's worst nightmare:

An enterprising young killer whale at Marineland has figured out how to use fish as bait to catch seagulls — and shared his strategy with his fellow whales.
...
First, the young whale spit regurgitated fish onto the surface of the water, then sank below the water and waited.

If a hungry gull landed on the water, the whale would surge up to the surface, sometimes catching a free meal of his own.

Probably tastes like chicken.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2005
Diamond Find

Maybe next time even Mom will go with us:

It might be a hobby, but Steve Lee really knows how to spot a diamond in the rough. Lee's most recent find — a 1.22 carat, gem-quality diamond — turned up during a recent visit to the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro.

We visited the place last year just before Olivia started walking. It had rained hard that morning but the sun came out to treat us with 90+ degree heat and 80%+ humidity. The "mine" is actually a shallow sandy pit, say about 200 yards to a side, that gets plowed several times a day. If you ever decide to go (or if Ellen ever wants to return), bring some sort of mud-boot gear, and don't wear anything you want to keep. That mud was some sticky stuff!

Posted by scott at 12:18 PM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2005
... it's Dark, and We're Wearing Sunglasses

Joanie brings us news that The Blues Brothers 25th anniversary edition is out on DVD. She also got to see a special theater screening with many of the principals in attendance. Lucky lady!

Shhh... can you hear it? That's the sound of a movie night selection approaching...

Posted by scott at 02:17 PM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2005
Fog-B-Gone

Slashdot linked up news that teenagers parking at "inspiration point" may not like hearing:

Foggy windows and lenses are a nuisance, and in the case of automobile windows, can pose a driving hazard. Now, a group of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) may have found a permanent solution to the problem. The team has developed a unique polymer coating - made of silica nanoparticles - that they say can create surfaces that never fog.

Always more science fiction...

Posted by scott at 10:11 AM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2005
Alfa Update

Automobile.com is carrying this update on Alfa Romeo's plans for the upcoming Pebble Beach Concours dElegance, of which it is the featured marque. The article also includes a brief update on plans to return to the US (looks increasingly likely Alfa will find a home at the Ferrari-Maserati dealership down the road from my house).

Anyone got a spare ticket to California?

Posted by scott at 08:53 AM eMail this entry!
August 26, 2005
Musical Mystery Solved

One of my favorite movie soundtracks is Jerry Goldsmith's Star Trek, the Motion Picture (big shock, I'm sure). However, I've always been puzzled by the great "BONG!" sounds in several of the music sequences. Whatever was making them seemed to sometimes be plucked, sometimes struck, and sometimes used with some sort of slide. But I could never figure out what it was, and eventually chalked it up to some sort of bizzare 70s synthesizer. Boy, was I wrong:

It's a monster: 18 feet of machined aluminium, with numerous strings and moveable (sometimes motorised) pickups. Japanese new-ager Kitaro plays his with a bow (like in the picture), or you can use an old artillery shell as a slide.

Yup, includes a picture of the thing. I think I may have found a new instrument for Nina's band!

The site also includes an intrueging story of "The Blaster's" other potential use as a way to make women... rmm... "extremely happy?"

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
~ Does Whatever a Spider Can ~

Got another thing to add to the gotta get me one o' these list:

Spiderman does it, so does James Bond. Now a gadget has been developed to allow US marines to zip up the sides of buildings or ships with virtually no effort.

All you do is fire a rope to the top of the structure using a harpoon gun or grappling hook, and then fit the rope into the device, called PowerQuick, which attaches to your climbing harness. Then just sit back and squeeze a lever.

Of course, since the military developed it, each one probably costs more than ten grand. But I can dream, can't I?

Posted by scott at 12:19 PM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2005
Continental Motion

Apparently one of the classics, though I'd never heard of it, the Paleomap Project provides an era-by-era look at how the continents have wandered around the planet.

Something that's always puzzled me is why any continents are left in the first place. Coastal erosion regularly eats restorts and houses on both US coasts, and I'm sure the phenomena has similar effects all over the world. Why haven't they all eroded away completely? I'm sure it's just that my grasp of geologic processes isn't really that good, but I don't know any geologists to ask for an explanation.

Posted by scott at 12:02 PM eMail this entry!
August 21, 2005
It's Not Beef Jerky!

The mysterious boy on the Smithsonian laboratory table had probably died of pneumonia about 1850 – too sick to eat, and delirious from fever.

His body had been dressed in a pleated shirt, finely tailored waistcoat and white sateen trousers and buried in an elegant iron coffin along Columbia Road NW in the District of Columbia.

Read entire article.
Posted by Ellen at 02:07 PM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2005
When the Squirrels go "Boom"

And the winner of "most innovative use of fuel-air explosives" goes to... the Paso Robles (CA) Public School district and the Rodenator Pro:

The $2,000 system exterminates the critters by releasing a mixture of propane and oxygen into a hole and lighting a fire. It was demonstrated by a Pinedale, Calif., distributor at Pat Butler Elementary last week.

Squirrel problem? Use high explosives! God I love this country.

Posted by scott at 07:59 AM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2005
Big Iron

Jeff gets a battleship gray no-prize for bringing us news of a damned ambitious WWII reconstruction:

This is 1/1 scale location set of the battleship Yamato for the Toei movie "Otokotchi no Yamato (Men's Yamato)" that will be shown to the general public in Japan from December 17, 2005. They have reconstructed a part of ship to the original size in the shipbuilding docks of Hitachi Zosen corporation in Onomichi-city, Hiroshima Pref. The total construction cost of this big set is 600 million yen.

Sorry Ron, it doesn't fly through space or fire laser torpedoes. I knew you'd ask.

Posted by scott at 12:11 PM eMail this entry!
August 17, 2005
It's Gothically Refreshing

I'd long since moved on to the "handing-out" part of Haloween when Goul-Aid came out, but I wonder how many of our younger peanut gallery members recall it?

Hmm? Olivia? Olivia's gramma got her an Elmo costume. Ellen showed me a picture of it this morning; it looks like everyone's favorite red monster is swallowing the child. Sorta fits right in with Ellen's snake obsession, no?

"Fine! See if I ever..." comment in 3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 01:43 PM eMail this entry!
Hurray for Moderately Above Average!

So this means there's hope for all of us?:

Forget waxed chests and rock-hard abs. A new survey finds ladies like their men scruffy, a wee bit chubby - and definitely not a metrosexual.

Playgirl asked 2,000 of its readers what they find sexy in a man and the answers were surprising: 42% said they thought love handles were kind of sexy and 47% approved of chest hair.

Me, I'm suspicious. The very few times I've tried to nail down what women like about men the only really consistent thing they could agree on was that they liked men. Everything else was up for grabs. Hell some didn't even like men at all.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
August 16, 2005
Here Come the Games

Potential Xbox 360 purchasers should find this list of "top 10 Xbox 360 launch titles" interesting. No Halo 3, but it does include two other first-person shooters, one from a well-known Nintendo franchise. Something to think about, eh?

Posted by scott at 01:55 PM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2005
Battle Find

Fark linked up news of the possible discovery of a 2200 year-old fleet of warships:

After two years of underwater searches around the [Aegates] islands, which lie west of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, experts last year found a bronze helmet and some amphorae from about 241 BC, the date of the decisive Roman victory over the Carthage fleet.

At around the same time, a team of Italy's famed art police busted a collector who had a ship's bronze battering ram from the same period on display in his home. It turned out the relic had been illegally looted using nets from the same area.

The battle of the Aegates Islans is where Rome finally crushed the Carthaginian navy, representing a turning point in the course of western history.

Right now the biggest problem is the potential site lies under some 200 feet of water. While the article says this makes it "impossible" to dive, this is not really the case. Expert Atlantic "treasure hunter" divers regularly go to these depths. It's not fun (in fact it's damned dangerous), but it is possible.

When it comes down to it though, I think I'd rather stay in the boat too.

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
August 14, 2005
I Do Not Miss These Critters!

Check it out!

Posted by scott at 04:56 PM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2005
Speaking of Fat...

Pat gets a very tasty no-prize for bringing us news of a most unlikely come back:

Now trans fats are considered the devil, and vegetable shortening is worse than butter could ever dream of being. After prodding by nutrition advocates, the Food and Drug Administration has taken the stand that there is no healthy level of trans fat in the diet, and as of January will require manufacturers to state the presence of trans fats on every food label. Now comes the call from Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York's health commissioner, for restaurants to "voluntarily make an oil change and remove artificial trans fat from their kitchens." What are beleaguered manufacturers and cooks to do? The loss of trans fats makes things tough. It makes pastry tough too.

I have a suggestion for those Old World cooks who are wrestling with New World advice: take another look at the fat profile of lard.

MMmm... pastries...

Posted by scott at 04:07 PM eMail this entry!
August 11, 2005
He's Ba-ack!

The Religious Policeman, who is actually neither but instead a Saudi national with an opinion and a blog, has moved to the UK and is now posting up a storm:

One of [the Wahhabist's] tenets is that there should be no memorial to any person, living or dead, as this could lead to idolatry. Hence King Fahd's unmarked grave (although who would want to idolize him, apart from Johnnie Walker shareholders, I cannot imagine) and the criminal destruction of the Buddha statues in Afghanistan. And the problem with Mecca in their eyes is that, being the birthplace of Mohammad and numerous of his relatives and followers, it is riddled with historic buildings and places. "No problem", say the Wahabbis, "we'll bulldoze the lot (and in their place we can build another multi-story hotel to cater for some of the millions of pilgrims annually. We may be narrow-minded fanatics, but we're not stupid)".

Highly recommended!

Posted by scott at 01:36 PM eMail this entry!
August 10, 2005
Logos, get Yer Logos Here

Why wrastle with the DMV and their dinky character limits when you can create your very own auto logos?

No, Ellen, you can't have CORNBREAD.

Posted by scott at 10:36 AM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2005
Tank Time

Pat gets a fishy no-prize for bringing us news of a spectacular new tourist attraction opening in Atlanta GA:

The Georgia Aquarium, as it will be called, is scheduled to open in November. It will have five million gallons of water and more than 100,000 fish. It will have giant groupers, octopuses and two white beluga whales. The star attraction will be two whale sharks, the world's biggest fish, which can exceed 40 feet in length and, Mr. Marcus said, will be on display for the first time outside of Asia. The aquarium will even have a celebrity caterer, Wolfgang Puck.

The thing is pitched as an effort to "revitalize" downtown Atlanta, which people have been trying and failing to do since the early 60s. Who knows, this time it just might work.

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
August 04, 2005
Tree Time

I'm not handy enough to pull something like this off, but boy it sure does sound neat:

An accomplished woodworker, [retired social worker Jack] Barnhart dreamed of building a treehouse - but not one of the scrapped-together versions the word conjures up in most people's minds.

The cozy little cottage he was envisioning would put the Swiss Family Robinson to shame, with two staircases, built-in closets and cabinets, a wet bar, high-quality insulated windows, water and electricity, cable TV and a rooftop patio - not to mention table service for six.

And instead of climbing a ladder from the ground, his treehouse would be accessible by a soaring footbridge, connected to the deck of his home some 65 feet away across a ravine.

Sounds like something my semi-retired dad would do, if he weren't already busy racing 600+ hp dirt trucks. No, really!

Posted by scott at 10:20 AM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2005
XBox Update

Slashdot is also reporting the first official price point for the upcoming Xbox 360. $300 is, as I recall, right around what the first Xbox cost at launch (took me years to get one, so I could be wrong about that). This also makes it fully 1/3rd less expensive than the PS3 (well, less expensive than the price I found when I googled 'PS3 price' at any rate), which, coupled with Xbox 360's earlier launch, bodes ill indeed for Sony's console.

Meanwhile, this Halo 3 announcement made in May completely got by me. A spring launch is very tasty news indeed, and as noted is yet another MS broadside into the PS3's ship.

Sony fans better hope the company doesn't fumble the PS3 release.

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
Alfa Progress

Fiat has announced the selection of an executive to head the North American Maserati and Alfa Romeo division. Which of course doesn't quite exist yet (well, at least with Alfa attached), but it does bring our favorite cross-and-serpent that much closer to US shores. There's also this road test of the 159.

Car and Driver reported this month that a) the 159 actually won't be coming to our shores and b) even if it did it might be priced as high as $49,000. Even I can't save that many pennies. Oh well, it'll at least be nice to see them on the highways again.

Posted by scott at 01:42 PM eMail this entry!
Great Grandson of "Gotta Get Me One of These"

Well, why not have your own flame thrower? Maybe that'll keep the cats from crapping on the floors.

Well, ok, maybe setting the floors on fire would be a bit excessive as a litterbox compliance tool. But this thing shoots flames!

Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2005
Good Boy!

Pat gets a distinctively-shaped no-prize for bringing us news that the National Zoo's panda is a boy. The article also notes that after weening the cub will go to China, which is surprising but not completely unexpected. As part of the "lease" agreement (as I recall, to the tune of $1 million per year for 10 years), any cubs born at the zoo are automatically considered property of the PRC.

Posted by scott at 02:43 PM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2005
“Just mash the gas?” “Ja, mash.”

Any road test of a car like this:

The very long doors open straight out like a normal car, no gullwing or Lambo-style function here. The cockpit is lined in black carbon fiber and leather with bright red carbon fiber inserts on the dash and doors and bright red piping on the seats. The four-point belts are also bright red and click in a center buckle like a race car. Two big pedals in the driver’s footwell—brake and gas—have rubber grippy pads inserted. The shifter is no more complex than a straightforward automatic.

There are no cupholders.

Is going to be one helluva road test. So come, dear reader, and take joy in the glorious one-offness that is the Maybach Exelero. Will they produce it? Only automotive journalists, who don't actually have to pay for the cars they drive, would even bother asking. The rest of us, well, I've always wondered what a mortgage-payment-per-week that can travel 218 mph would look like, haven't you?

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
Have At You!

For the medieval engineer in you, we have this nifty trebuchet simulator. I'm pretty sure the intro music is from Civ II, a strategy game from the mid-90s.

Posted by scott at 08:23 AM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2005
The Sound of One Bahraini Cruising?

Mahmood got to test-ride a Segway yesterday, and let's just say "like" doesn't even come close to what he thinks about it. I wonder if they're any cheaper over there than they are in the states?

Posted by scott at 03:11 PM eMail this entry!
Mmm... Cereal...

So which 80s cereals do you remember eating? If it had "coco" in the name I was usually all over it (in all honesty, I still am), but even I don't recognize some of these names. Nerds Cereal?

Posted by scott at 12:45 PM eMail this entry!
And the Horse Goes, Swim Swim Swim

Apparently rather famous, though I'd never heard of it, the 80th annual Assateague Channel pony swim took place without incident yesterday. The big fog made for some interesting pictures, one of which is featured on the site.

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2005
My Next Car?

Not only did Autoweek like Alfa's new 159 sedan, they're quoting rumors that they might start hitting our shores in 2007!

Need to keep filling that penny jar...

And failing that, there's always boating.

Posted by scott at 12:39 PM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2005
Off We Go!

In the unlikely event you're unfortunate enough to use our site to get actual news, we just wanted to pass on that Discovery made a successful launch and is now in orbit. Next trick, of course, will be getting them back.

Posted by scott at 11:39 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2005
Go Speedracer, Go!

Fark linked up this brief collection of cool one-off cars, which include two Speedracer vehicles. I never watched the show when I was a kid, and find it kinda painful nowadays, but it does seem rather popular to others. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2005
What Are The Odds?

After his wife, Mary, scrubbed it with jewelry cleaner, they were able to read the inscription: "MPS to SJP 9-10-67." Her husband's eyes began to tear, she said.

Read entire sappy story here.

Posted by Ellen at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
July 23, 2005
Map Time

So just how good is your European geography? I got 76% on the first try, stumbling over all the ridiculous little principalities that seem to infest the continent, as well as dealing with an Eastern Europe that looks nothing like it did when I memorized those maps in the '70s. Yes, memorized. Didn't everyone carry around a world atlas when they were 8?

Posted by scott at 08:01 AM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2005
Plane Splat

While cruising around I found this interesting site that catalogs a variety of airplane crash sites. No, no burned bodies, just the remains of airplanes, some of them more than fifty years old. Considering some of these aircraft were reduced to splinters, it's amazing they can be found at all.

Posted by scott at 01:17 PM eMail this entry!
And the Mountain Goes, "Boom Boom Boom"

Pat gets a dangerously unstable no-prize for bringing us news of Mt. St. Helens's latest shenanigans:

A series of unusually strong earthquakes — exceeding magnitude 3 — has been reported in recent days by the Cascades Volcano Laboratory in Vancouver, Wash., about 50 miles south of the mountain. The latest was a magnitude 3.1 quake early Thursday that was accompanied by a rockfall.

Rockfalls during the quakes send up plumes of ash. Some tower thousands of feet above the 8,364-foot crater rim; a March plume reached 30,000 feet, raising concerns about area air traffic. Some plumes don't escape the crater and some wispy, gritty puffs crest just above the rim.

Now, far as I can remember, you can stomp your feet and get a 3.0 earthquake out of it if the sensor is next to you. So "strong" seems to be pretty relative here. Still, if said 3.0 earthquake is strong enough to shake apart fragile yet multi-tonned bits of mountain and send them crashing down slopes like God's own bowling alley, well, I'll just stand back here and watch then, thank you!

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2005
That's One Small Step for a Browser, One Giant Leap for Google-Kind

Slashdot linked up Google's nifty tribute to the thirty-sixth anniversary of the first moon landing. I didn't realize the sites were that close together. Then again, there's no mention of scale anywhere, so "close" may be kinda relative.

36 years?!? I didn't vote for that!

Posted by scott at 12:52 PM eMail this entry!
More Living Science Fiction

Phaser and force-field analogs anyone? Still no promising anti-grav technologies. Well, except maybe for Pam Anderson's boobs or something.

Via Siflay.

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2005
Challenging the Contest

Slashdot linked up this inside look at how two teams are shaping up to take on the 2005 DARPA Challenge:

The Grand Challenge pits autonomous vehicles against each other in a race across the Southern California desert. With no driver, these robotic cars use the latest technology in following GPS waypoints and avoiding obstacles. Last year, none of the vehicles finished the race, which proved that the Grand Challenge really was "grand". The winding 150 mile course from Barstow, California to Primm, Nevada knocked out vehicle after vehicle. Most of the vehicles were eliminated just miles of the starting gate, with Carnegie Mellon's Sandstorm reaching the farthest distance of 7.4 miles, before clipping a fencepost and then slamming into a three-foot boulder.

The prize money's been doubled this year (to $2 million), so perhaps it won't be quite the amusing fiasco it's been in the past.

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2005
Humming Bird Babies!

Check this site out for the birth of humming birds.

VERY COOL! NOT TO MISS!

Posted by Ellen at 06:39 PM eMail this entry!
July 15, 2005
Hopefully this will Take Pressure off the Endangered Nauga

Fark linked up news of an interesting new development in ship design:

While simpler in design than shark scales, the ship skin reduced bio-fouling by 67 percent in tests, Liedert will report this week at the Society for Experimental Biology's annual meeting in Barcelona.
...
In separate work funded in part by the U.S. Navy, scientists at the University of Florida have developed a similar coating, made of tiny diamond-shaped scales that flex in and out to impede the growth of organisms.

The cost savings over time could easily pay for even a comparatively expensive material, so look for fake shark-skinned ships coming soon to a dock near you!

Posted by scott at 02:41 PM eMail this entry!
July 11, 2005
Earthward Ho!

Jeff gets a zoomy no-prize for bringing us Google Earth. Yeah, I know, probably made the rounds a long time ago, but I've slept since then. Waddayawant?

His search string, 40 45 52.34 N 74 00 05.86 W, was a fun destination with which to start out.

Posted by scott at 01:35 PM eMail this entry!
July 07, 2005
A Fan's Fan

With only a few minor modifications, I just solved Amber's funeral plan problem should Ron every really get on her nerves:

James Henry Smith was a zealous Pittsburgh Steelers fan in life, and even death could not keep him from his favorite spot: in a recliner, in front of a TV showing his beloved team in action.
...
Smith's body was on the recliner, his feet crossed and a remote in his hand. He wore black and gold silk pajamas, slippers and a robe. A pack of cigarettes and a beer were at his side, while a high-definition TV played a continuous loop of Steelers highlights.

Now, if we were really mean, we'd put Ron in green and white instead of his cherished blue and silver. Just to see if, you know, that whole "revenge from beyond the grave" thing was real.

Kidding... kidding... he'd look much better in burgundy and gold!

Posted by scott at 01:20 PM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2005
Profiles in Stuff

Slashdot linked up news that Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz is looking to thin his collection of original movie props. Definitely an "if-you-gotta-ask, you-can't-afford-it" sort of things. Still, an original lightsaber would be pretty darned cool.

Posted by scott at 12:58 PM eMail this entry!
Skywalking

Why fly across the Grand Canyon when you can walk:

It is one of the great natural wonders of the world -- and it will soon to be joined by an engineering marvel.

A fantastic glass bridge arcing 60-feet out over the grand canyon -- giving visitors an unobstructed view 4000-feet straight down.

It's being built on Hualapai tribal land, so even the vista on the canyon rim is currently unavailable to tourists. It took nearly a decade of negotiations to get everyone on board, but the hope is tourism will boost the tribe's resources.

Posted by scott at 10:00 AM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2005
Down on the Farm

The Body Farm receives around 50 bodies a year, which are placed in the woods and other environments around the facility.

Intensive 10-week courses are run on the farm for investigators from police agencies around the US.

They learn the proper way to dig up and retrieve a buried body.

Read entire article here.

Scott won't let us move to Tennessee anytime soon.

Posted by Ellen at 08:01 PM eMail this entry!
Cruisin', Russian Style

T-80, anyone?

Years ago I remember the mil-heads in my group talking about this thing. If I recall (and they were right), the T-80 has one less crewman than the M1A1. An autoloader replaces the crew loader. Unfortunately, again as I recall, the early versions of this system had a tendency to load the gunner instead of the round. This was, as you would imagine, a less than desirable feature.

I would figure that some fifteen years later (assuming the story is true at all) they've gotten that all figured out. Watching the video makes me glad the USSR isn't around any more.

Posted by scott at 11:47 AM eMail this entry!
July 04, 2005
I Find Your Lack of Legos Disturbing

I'm not sure what's funnier, the fact that two guys spent ten hours straight building a Lego Star Destroyer, or that the Slashdot nerds actually noted it was a "Star Destroyer II".

I mean, I can see being that precise for, say, noting the difference between an Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto and an Alfa Romeo Spider 1750 round-tail. Because, you know, that matters.

Update: The comments on the Slashdot article are hysterical. Only /.'ers would biatch about how "Real Men" would use generic blocks with no instructions, and only other /.'ers would mod such effete wannabes all the way up to 5.

Posted by scott at 05:00 PM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2005
Well now ain't that Special

Bummer: realizing your shiny new bike needs a derailuer adjustment on mile 7 of your 14 mile ride.

Coolies: Realizing, while making said adjustment the next morning, that instead of a mediocre set of cranks as specified on the manufacturer's website, your bike has the best alloy cranks Truvativ has to offer. And you didn't pay extra!

What? You think I'm going to get a bike that cool and not talk about it? Yeah, ok, category coming soon.

Posted by scott at 11:08 AM eMail this entry!
July 01, 2005
Unique is...

So, if such diverse auto companies as Saab and Alfa Romeo are now using the same GM-derived block in their engines, have the marques lost any identity? Well, according to this Australian reviewer, the answer is "none at all".

Because you do all care about the latest Alfa Romeo, right? Right?

Posted by scott at 11:59 AM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2005
The Mother of all Lunkers?

I saw it in the Post, but this thing is definitely making the rounds: a 646 pound catfish, representing perhaps the largest freshwater fish ever found alive, was caught in the Mekong river in a remote area of Thailand. While efforts were made to try and save it, the big male died anyway. The villagers didn't let it go to waste though... they apparently had a gargantuan catfish fry with this fish as the guest of honor.

Includes picture!

Posted by scott at 09:08 AM eMail this entry!
June 29, 2005
Goth Golf

Joshua gets a putter-shaped no-prize for bringing us the most unusual mini-golf course ever. Somewhere in Arkansas, there's a redneck steaming over his stolen idea.

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2005
Still Sounds like a Cereal to Me

Fans of Wil Wheaton (of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame) should find his newly posted Slashdot interview of interest. He's been in Hollywood too long to completely avoid the pretentiousness of that town, but for a card-carrying member of People's Republic of California, Left Branch, he's still pretty interesting. He'd have been a lot more interesting if he'd linked our weblog all those years ago like I asked him to.

Bitter? Petulant? Me? Nah...

Posted by scott at 02:32 PM eMail this entry!
It's Batspectacular!

Jeff gets a dark and brooding no-prize for bringing us details of the latest batmobiles. Fully functional, 0-60 in 5.6 seconds... what's not to love?

Posted by scott at 01:14 PM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2005
Cloud Pixes

Some very cool pixes of clouds.

Posted by Ellen at 06:25 AM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2005
Gas Station Owner Cashes in $1.4M Pennies

O and I made $70 bucks last week with our change from the house, but this story is amazing.

Edmond Knowles started out saving pennies in a 5-gallon can. Thirty-eight years later, he was storing them in four 55-gallon drums and three 20-gallon drums - nearly 1.4 million in all.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:18 PM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2005
When Power-to-Weight Attacks

Now you have two ways of wrecking your expensive RC toy! I think they should've shaped them like dragonflies or something.

Posted by scott at 08:09 AM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2005
Woman joins Air Force Thunderbirds

Just weeks after a high-profile debate about the role of women in the military, the Air Force is putting a woman in one of its most prestigious and high-profile jobs. Capt. Nicole Malachowski has been named the first woman pilot in the Air Force's world-famous Thunderbirds demonstration squadron.

Read article here.

Posted by Ellen at 06:28 AM eMail this entry!
Here's Your Star

A 23-year-old sergeant with the Kentucky National Guard on Thursday became the first female soldier to receive the Silver Star — the nation's third-highest medal for valor — since World War II.

Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, who is from Nashville, Tenn., but serves in a Kentucky unit, received the award for gallantry during a March 20 insurgent ambush on a convoy in Iraq. Two men from her unit, the 617th Military Police Company of Richmond, Ky., also received the Silver Star for their roles in the same action.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 05:57 AM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2005
Three Fifths

Finally, a Humvee even a greenie can love. Is there anything you can't do with a VW chassis?

Posted by scott at 09:23 AM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2005
Whirly-Net

Ron gets a small flying no-prize for bringing us news of an interesting development in distributed computing:

Scientists have used off-the-shelf hardware to build the smallest flying Web server — a helicopter that can serve up a Web page over a wireless network.

The 2.5-ounce Ultraswarm vehicle represents the first in a group of flying computers that will one day combine swarm intelligence — the ability to maneuver like a flock of birds — and wireless computing to process information the way cluster-based supercomputers do.

As noted, off-the-shelf tends to mean pretty-damned-cheap, so it's just possible this is more than vaporware and could end up being affordable. But since the guy's current record is a single helicopter flying for just a few minutes, it would seem he has a long way to go.

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
Blow Up Plastic TV

No, really: a blow-up plastic TV:

Bring back the excitement of the Drive-In movie theater experience right in your own backyard. The SuperScreen Outdoor Theater System is a complete entertainment package that includes everything from a 13' x 16' giant inflatable movie screen, high-output DLP™ projection, dual 10" speakers with stands and sound boards and even a DVD player. You supply the popcorn.

Because I'm sure your neighbors will love the midnight showing of Evil Dead II.

Posted by scott at 10:24 AM eMail this entry!
June 10, 2005
Domino Engine

Joshua gets an in-game no-prize for bringing us a demonstration of just how sophisticated physics modeling is beginning to get in video games. Should also point out to the console fans out there that HL2 for x-box should be available this October.

Posted by scott at 08:10 AM eMail this entry!
June 09, 2005
That's Mister Gramma to You, Bub

Not content with empowering the elderly with their own robotic pets and servants, Japanese scientists have now given them powered suits:

Japan has taken a step into the science-fiction world with the release of a "robot suit" that can help workers lift heavy loads or assist people with disabilities climb stairs.
...
It can also move on its own accord, enabling it to help elderly or handicapped people walk, developers said.

Ok mom, no tossing Olivia with this thing, mmkay?

Posted by scott at 01:32 PM eMail this entry!
Grandson of "Gotta Get Me One of These"

Slashdot linked up news that we are one step closer to everyone's favorite BFG:

Scientists at the Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, New Mexico have accelerated a small plate from zero to 76,000 mph in less than a second. The speed of the thrust was a new record for Sandia's "Z Machine" - not only the fastest gun in the West, but in the world too.

The Z Machine is now able to propel small plates at 34 kilometers a second, faster than the 30 kilometers per second that Earth travels through space in its orbit about the Sun. That's 50 times faster than a rifle bullet, and three times the velocity needed to escape Earth's gravitational field.

In essence, a magnetic pulse gun. LiveScience.com even has a picture of the thing. It also apparently has uses in fusion research, even if that's not quite as cool. ;)

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2005
Medical Miracle

Pat receives a sappy but inspiring no-prize for bringing us this story of a young woman who successfully gave birth after an ovarian tissue transplant from her sister. This specific situation was quite unique... since the sisters were identical twins, tissue rejection was not an issue, and therefore potentially fetus-endangering drugs were not required. But it still opens up both positive and negative questions in the field of elective tissue transplant.

Posted by scott at 12:45 PM eMail this entry!
And the Tornado Goes, "Woosh Woosh Woosh"

Jeff gets a dangerously powerful no-prize for bringing us this National Geographic website special, "Inside Tornadoes". I seem to recall us watching a special that detailed how they used these little R2D2-like probes to study the insides of tornadoes, but I can't recall them showing us any results. Well, here be the results!

Posted by scott at 09:55 AM eMail this entry!
June 07, 2005
Son of "Gotta Get Me One of These"

Four words: Home built high voltage. I mean, any site that puts an explicit warning of electrified death on its front page has got to be up to something good, eh?

This'd definitely be cooler than some stinky ol' bird feeder in the front yard. Time to get some electrical tape...

Posted by scott at 08:15 AM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2005
I Guess We'll Call These Things "ApTels"?

Mac fanatics who have been all twitterpated about rumors ripping around regarding this can now rest, if not easy. It's official, Apple is going with Intel chips:

In a risky move that could further shrink its minuscule slice of the PC market, Apple Computer Inc. announced plans Monday to switch its Macintosh computers to the same Intel Corp. chips used in systems that run Microsoft Windows.

At least now they'll be expensive and fast.

Posted by scott at 02:24 PM eMail this entry!
Bugs!

Why have an ant colony when you can have a mean little thing that eats ants instead?

So far Olivia's etymological interests have been yelling "FRY!!!" every time she sees a butterfly (on anything... books, TV, clothes. I'm not sure she's actually seen a real one yet). Occasionally she'll say "bug!!!" when she sees some other creepy-crawly. We'll just have to see how the interest develops over time.

Posted by scott at 10:48 AM eMail this entry!
Now for a Robot to Mount it On

Ron gets a mecha no-prize for bringing us the simplest DIY gauss rifle ever created. Yes you can fulfill your darkest Mechwarrior dreams with just a ruler, some common magnets, and a few ball bearings!

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2005
Richie's Next Computer?

Dude, you gotta get you one of these:

My case mod is a scale model of a Star Wars TIE Fighter, with a computer built right into the cockpit. And, it's also a desk! The whole case is built from scratch. As a die-hard Star Wars fan, I knew my first mod would have to incorporate something from Star Wars, and I could think of nothing cooler than a TIE Fighter. I got the blueprints online and got to work.

Ellen's always badgering me to replace my old computer desk. Now I finally can!

Posted by scott at 12:23 PM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2005
On This Day

Set your alarms folks, because in about eight hours the Battle of Midway starts. Well, sixty-three years ago at any rate. Raise a glass!

Posted by scott at 07:33 AM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2005
Brothers in Arms

Jeff gets a quick and deadly no-prize for bringing us yet another home-brew lightsaber duel film. This one's got some really great fight co-ordination and stunt moves in it. Also, found the much-more-safe-for-work host, so no worries about naughty ads.

Posted by scott at 09:39 AM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2005
A Little Perspective

Yes, Olivia can be a pain sometimes*, but all it takes is a story like this to show just how lucky we have it:

My wife, oldest daughter, and I love to bike. However, our younger daughter (Hannah) has cerebral palsy which makes it very hard for her little 5 year old legs to keep up, much less remain straight in the seat. After fooling around with a training wheel bike (still too unstable) and a trike [...], we had all but given up on finding her a ride that was economical and stable for her to ride.

Well, a week or so ago, while getting a tune on my bike I noticed a Adams trail-a-bike at my LBS. I asked a few questions about it and purchased it the next day.

If you don't get a smile at the end of the story... well, let's say I'm just gonna have to take back your "humanity" merit badge, mmkay?

We're going to get the same thing for Olivia when we're certain she won't roll off the back like an unsecured watermelon. But that's by choice. I can only respect and admire the folks who... well... you know...

----
* Grammas, pleased to be sitting down and being quiet. You get to give her back when she boils over.

Posted by scott at 07:15 PM eMail this entry!
Space Haulin'

Space.com has this article providing a nice summary of what NASA's crawler-transporters are up to nowadays. Long-time readers will know my dad was in charge of the mobile launcher system that sits on top of the crawler back in the Apollo days. Good to see NASA still getting use out of the old equipment, even though the shuttle is rather puny compared to the cargo it was originally designed to carry.

Posted by scott at 09:03 AM eMail this entry!
June 01, 2005
Bowing to the Inevitable

Joshua gets a cool unmarked no-prize for bringing us Das Keyboard, "for UberGeeks only". Ellen would regularly wear the marks off the keyboards of her old laptop. I just tend to wear smooth spots on the space bar. This would kill some of my other friends who never learned to properly touch type (you know who you are).

Posted by scott at 02:54 PM eMail this entry!
I Wonder How He Erases a Mistake?

Kinda puts your squares and lines to shame, no? I never have figured out how to draw curves with the dratted things. But I had fun with them nonetheless.

Via Reflections in D Minor.

Posted by scott at 10:22 AM eMail this entry!
May 30, 2005
Paging George Jetson, White Courtesy Phone Please

Ya know, sometimes I really love America:

Eastman Industries has taken the lawn mower to a new level (literally). The HoverMower is designed to hover slightly above the ground on a cushion of air, making it more maneuverable, extremely light, easy to propel and able to reach previously inaccessible places like extreme inclines, wet grounds, and tight, difficult to get at places.

Now to convince my kid to use it. One day, one day...

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
May 27, 2005
When Cuteness Attacks

Pat gets a no-prize in a basket for bringing us news of a story so sweet it's making my teeth taste like gumdrops:

On May 7, I was sitting out back enjoying the beautiful weather when I heard a crash.

Casey, my American bulldog, immediately pointed me to the area. A little bird had fallen from its nest. I gathered up a basket and put some leaves and bedding in it, and no sooner did I finish than I heard another crash!

This is from none other than one of Olivia's honorary grammas (and a frequent commentor on this site) Liz Hoerske. Read the whole thing for much heart-warming doggy goodness!

Posted by scott at 12:46 PM eMail this entry!
~ Down at Neanderthal Park ~

Ron gets a no-prize shaped like a hand axe for bringing us news of the latest in tourist-trap developments, the "science park":

Enduringly portrayed as muscle-bound, brainless and unfeeling, Neanderthals may at last start to turn the tide of opinion if a new venture has its way.

Combining tourism and archaeology, the "palaeosite" at the village of Saint-Cesaire, 140 kilometres (85 miles) north of Bordeaux, in southwestern France, aims to give visitors a breathtaking snapshot of how these hominids lived 35,000 years ago.

"It's not a museum, nor an amusement park; it's a new concept which has no equivalent anywhere in the world," said Didier Brennenmann, an engineer who spent five years overseeing the construction of the 13-million-euro ($16-million) complex.

Yet another reason to visit Europe! Wee!

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
May 26, 2005
Lunker

Jeff gets a monstrous no-prize for bringing us news (and pic!) of a record-setting blue catfish. 58" long, 44" around, and 124 pounds! According to the article, it's going into a display tank at a local sporting goods store. That aughta bring some traffic!

Posted by scott at 09:29 AM eMail this entry!
May 25, 2005
Arrgh!

Fark linked up news that Blackbeard's flagship may have finally been found:

``We knew it the first day and we still have absolutely no doubt that she's the Queen Anne's Revenge,'' said Phil Masters, whose Florida-based research firm located the wreckage in 1996. ``There is no other ship lost at Beaufort Inlet with anything more than 10 cannon, nor more than 110 tons that we know of.''

Not a treasure ship in the conventional sense, it's still a real find.

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
May 20, 2005
What Sucks Can Also Blow

Somewhere, Ross Perot is busily ignoring this story:

The 2006 Hyundai Sonata has left the building.

And just like that, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama has moved from prototypes and testing to the commercial carmaking business, marking a historic red-letter day for Montgomery.

If you want to make thousands of metal stampings in a process that only requires pulling a lever, using a machine that requires no maintenance or calibration, by all means put the plant in Tijuana or Lahore or Shanghai or wherever. If you want to make cars, ones that don't fall apart as they drive off the dealer lot at any rate, well, maybe you aught to consider the good ol' US. Efficiency and effectiveness always come at a price, but there are different sorts of economy, and building something cheaply does not always mean it's built well.

Sorta reminds me of an old TV commercial that was popular when I was a kid... "expensive, but darn well worth it."

Posted by scott at 08:47 AM eMail this entry!
May 19, 2005
More Console Wars

Jeff gets a no-prize shaped like a game controller for bringing us this more neutral and (seemingly) informed take on the implications of all the upcoming consoles. In a nutshell, it would appear Sony's lead is a lot bigger than I percieved it to be (big surprise there), and that the XBox 360 is much more in line with Microsoft's standard v2.0 practice. I.e., less tacky and clunky than the original, respectable performance, but still well below the state of the art.

In other words, Sony probably doesn't have to dance as fast as I thought they would to lead Microsoft this time around.

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
May 18, 2005
Lensing Animals

The shutterbugs in the audience (and the control booth) should get a kick out of The Concours international de la photo animaličre et de nature de Montier-en-Der 2004. No, not sure what it means... concours is something I normally associate with cars. But the pictures sure are pretty!

Via Reflections in D Minor.

Posted by scott at 01:03 PM eMail this entry!
May 17, 2005
Don't Kick the Sand

ArmorGeddon is back, and in very fine form:

“Hey Sir,” SSG Terry called out to me. “Can you come take a look at this?”

I looked back at SSG Terry. He was dragging the track in the sand with his tank and the cargo strap when he suddenly had the tank halt. His arms were in the air with his hands clasped. His lips were puckered up with an “uh-oh” expression on his face.

“I saw this get uncovered as we was dragging the track from side to side so I kicked it to see what it was.”

Underneath the long length of track, under the portion pulled up by the strap, SSG Terry had unearthed a large round flat cylinder. It looked like there were a few more next to it. The thing was about the size of a plastic dog food bowl. It was light tan colored and dirty looking. Like it had been there for a long time.

That there's what ya calls a "high pucker factor" moment. One of those stories you laugh about when it's over, sort of thing.

Posted by scott at 02:46 PM eMail this entry!
More XBox News

Slashdot is carrying even more updates on the new Xbox 360. This time, an announcement that the new machine will be compatible with the "most popular" of the original's titles (whatever that means). Even though there's mention of a price point, nobody seems to have actually said what that price point is. One commenter mentioned $350, which if true should make life amusing for the PS-3.

Reading the comments, fanboy reaction is still very sniffily in favor of said PS-3. Of course, fifteen years ago a different sort of fanboy very sniffily favored DOS and OS/2 over Windows, and look how that turned out. Microsoft has just called the tune, and Sony better dance damned fast if it wants to stay on the floor.

Posted by scott at 12:07 PM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2005
Dino Dancing

Yet another reason to some day return to the American Museum of Natural History:

Much of what you thought you knew about dinosaurs turns out to be wrong. That's the take-home message from Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries, which opened Saturday at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Recent finds and technologies have revolutionized scientists' understanding of dinosaur biology, behavior and even extinction. In one especially well executed display, an animatronic T. rex moves surprisingly sluggishly, minding what researchers now believe was the animal's speed limit of 11 to 16 kilometers an hour--a striking contrast to the car-chasing pace of Jurassic Park's monster. It turns out T. rex was far too massive to be a swift stalker.

I don't care if Olivia's not going to get a boost from visiting museums. It's the price you pay for having nerds as parents! :)

Posted by scott at 03:54 PM eMail this entry!
Now You Know

So, How much of the stuff around you do you understand? I scored 80%, and since you're all demonstrably smarter than I am, I'm expecting high marks from every one of you.

Posted by scott at 11:50 AM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2005
Gadget Time

Making the rounds: the new Xbox has finally been revealed. Vid-game guru Damion sniffing about how superior Sony's Playstation is to all others in 3... 2... 1...

Slashdot's got the best link roundup I've found so far. The wireless controllers are what make it very interesting for me. It's hard enough for Olivia to resist the urge to help daddy punch all the shiny buttons when he's playing Halo2; when you add a cable stretching across the floor the urge to tug is simply irresistable. This thing may bring me back to consoles.

Far more interesting to me are the implications for the gaming market itself. Microsoft's secret weapon has always been its attitude toward developers. It coddles them, and provides them with the best development tools ever made. It took most of a decade, but together these two forces quietly and inexorably allowed Microsoft to corner the commercial software market.

They're going after game companies with the same gusto, and it looks like they're making heavy inroads. Playstation's only remaining strength is its stable of developers, and if Microsoft woos them away fast enough the PS-3 is very likely to share the same also-ran-shoulda-won fate as the Sega Dreamcast.

From the info available, if Microsoft prices it between $400-$500, then Sony has a chance, and a strong one at that. If they price it just under $300, Sony is in big trouble. If they price it less than $200, it's basically over except for the singing. Nintendo's already been marginalized, and if Sony doesn't jump on this thing with both feet and stomp hard Gates will have another trophy to hang on his wall, and the name on that plaque will be Playstation.

Posted by scott at 12:06 PM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2005
But where is the Cheese?

Fark links up news that John Cleese will be writing the next feature film for Aardman Animations, the makers of Wallace and Gromit. It will apparently be a very... ahem... educational piece, explaining why the British hate the French and visa versa. No, really!

Posted by scott at 03:53 PM eMail this entry!
A How To, for the Rest of Us

Something tells me Richie might be just a little interested in this one:

You, the fan, know you've wanted a Stormtrooper armor since the first time you saw them on the big screen at your local Movie Theater. You've swooned over them ever since and untill now had no idea how to get your hands on one. Well my freinds, it's time you learned how to use those hands and brains, and built something.

Actually, I'm a big enough nerd (shocking, I know) that I'm a little interested in it. Now to convince Ellen a body cast isn't some sort of weird fetish I've locked on to...

Posted by scott at 12:48 PM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2005
God's Pillow

The video of the Iraq sandstorm.

Pretty neat!

Posted by Ellen at 08:41 PM eMail this entry!
Aerial View

Also from Silflay, this "report and pictures" from one LTC Bob, who (as I recall) is part of a detatchment responsible for the destruction of the myriad ammo dumps scattered across Iraq. Not surprisingly, his report is quite a bit more optimistic than what we're hearing out of the MSM nowadays. Plus the pictures are cool.

Posted by scott at 03:57 PM eMail this entry!
May 10, 2005
Chasey-Chasey

Fark linked up an example of what Ellen's real extreme vacation would be like. Olivia and I will stay home for that one, thanks.

Posted by scott at 08:30 AM eMail this entry!
May 09, 2005
And the Minigun Goes, "Brrzzp Brrzzp Brrzzp"

Jeff gets his second no-prize of the day for bringing us the world's most ridiculous BB gun... the air-powered gatling minigun. Apparently they're miniaturized versions of the venerable M-134, a rifle-caliber minigun used by aircraft in the Vietnam war. Yes, the M-134 is what they used in Predator; no, you can't actually fire a real one yourself (the movie version used low-powered blanks, otherwise the recoil would've knocked Ventura across the set).

To heck with getting my own 10" firework mortar. I'm gonna spend my birthday money on one of these.

Well, ok, not really, since I already spent said money on a flash set of bicycle pedals. But I reserve the right to dream about one of these!

Posted by scott at 02:03 PM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2005
There You Are!

Making the rounds: after five years of off-and-on searching, it would appear scientists have finally located the wreckage of the ill-fated Mars Polar Lander. While not definitive, the evidence is the strongest yet found. NASA hopes to direct the Mars Global Surveyor to the site later this year to allow higher resolution pictures to be taken. This should confirm (or refute) the find.

Posted by scott at 12:02 PM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2005
When Turbos Attack

At first I thought it was some sort of weird jet power, but on close inspection, I'm pretty sure there's a regular motor under there somewhere. Yup, it's an oct-turbo motor, one whirring pinwheel per cylinder. God knows how you change the spark plugs...

Posted by scott at 08:11 PM eMail this entry!
Springing the Parent Trap

Ok now I don't feel so bad she watches Hi-5 and Sesame Street every afternoon:

The U.S. Department of Education recently undertook a monumental project called the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, which tracks the progress of more than 20,000 American schoolchildren from kindergarten through the fifth grade. Aside from gathering each child's test scores and the standard demographic information, the ECLS also asks the children's parents a wide range of questions about the families' habits and activities. The result is an extraordinarily rich set of data that, when given a rigorous economic analysis, tells some compelling stories about parenting technique.
...
But the ECLS data show no correlation between a child's test scores and how often his parents read to him. How can this be? Here is a sampling of other parental factors that matter and don't:

•Matters: The child has highly educated parents.

•Doesn't: The child regularly watches TV at home.

•Matters: The child's parents have high income.

•Doesn't: The child's mother didn't work between birth and kindergarten.

•Matters: The child's parents speak English in the home.

•Doesn't: The child's parents regularly take him to museums.

•Matters: The child's mother was 30 or older at time of the child's birth.

•Doesn't: The child attended Head Start.

•Matters: The child's parents are involved in the PTA.

•Doesn't: The child is regularly spanked at home.

Bummer about the museum thing though. Meh, she's going anyway.

Oh shut up. Like you didn't already know we were nerds...

Via Silflay.

Posted by scott at 03:23 PM eMail this entry!
Green Graffiti

In more ways than one:

This simple yet effective concoction is an old favourite of gardeners trying to encourage moss growth and provides an excellent alternative to spray paint.

Luckily our house is faced with some sort of siding, otherwise I'm sure the entire front would consist of a cat face.

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
May 03, 2005
XBox Update

ABCnews is carrying this update on the upcoming XBox2. It's from Gates himself, so it's long on vision and short on detail, but it would appear the box is going to include more "media center" features, whatever that means. Maybe The Borg is taking aim at TiVo?

Just about the only thing that'd get me interested in one is if Halo-3 comes out for it and only it. Which, considering the stakes, is IMO pretty much a given. Meh. my friend Damion owns every video game console in the world, I'll wait till he gets one.

Posted by scott at 03:08 PM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2005
Postcards from a Far, Far Away Edge

I guess we can call the whole blog thing officially over if this guy can get one:

Big day. Storming the rebel ice fortress.

Took a nap first so I would be peppy. Leg feels pretty good.

Admiral Ozzol took the fleet out of hyerspace too close to Hoth, and the Rebel Alliance were -- you guessed it -- alerted to our approach. The cornerstone of Ozzel's arrogance is his insistence that rebel technology is so vastly inferior to Imperial technology that we need broker no caution.

This attitude is typical of a man who could not rephase his own fusion orb if his life depended on it. He cannot fathom what rebel engineers may accomplish out of desperation. People who are good with things, people like me, can appreciate the infinite diversity of possible tools buried in artful combinations of even the humblest technologies. Give me an hour to reconfigure an industrial grade repulsolift and I will give you an ion cannon and enough parts left over to build a droid to run it.

Ozzel just isn't the creative type.

The problem is solved now, however. I crushed his trachea with my mind, and promoted Piett to command the fleet.

Surprisingly well written, and not completely silly after all. Recommended to all Star Wars fans.

Via Siflay

Posted by scott at 02:26 PM eMail this entry!
By the Pound

Ever wonder what they do with all the confiscated crap at the airport?

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Pinky?"

"I fink so Brain, but thirty-five pounds of scissors? The fetish club would never be the same!"

Posted by scott at 01:34 PM eMail this entry!
April 27, 2005
Stunningly Simple

There's pizza cutters, and then there's pizza cutters. Not sure I'd go for the one with the spike on the handle. I wonder if they're dishwasher-safe?

Posted by scott at 09:54 AM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2005
Where's Wink Martindale When You Need Him?

Well, how good are you at guessing?

Best I've done so far was 254.

Via Silflay

Posted by scott at 11:56 AM eMail this entry!
TMODMP

Fark linked up this nice de-bunking of the "Paul is dead" urban legend. It was bad enough that I had to explain it all to Ellen a few months ago. Now I'm beginning to realize I'm probably going to have to explain who Paul is to Olivia.

Why yes, I just did have a birthday. Why do you ask?

Posted by scott at 08:51 AM eMail this entry!
April 25, 2005
Sun Room? We Don't Need No Stinking Sun Room!

This guy's video game collection is actually bigger than the one at the local Chuck E. Cheese. Complete with working change machine! This'll definitely go in the plans for the "lottery-win" dream home.

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2005
Down in a Hole

BBC news is reporting a new caving record:

A Ukrainian team has reached a record depth of 2,080m (6,822ft), passing the elusive 2,000m mark at Krubera, the world's deepest known cave.

The nine-strong group were part of a project that has made breaking the 2,000m depth its goal for four years.

From the pictures, this isn't one of those "spectacular stalactites and stalagmites" sort of cave. Rather, it looks more like the "cold, dark, muddy hole" sort that I used to trapse around in when I was in college.

Posted by scott at 12:15 PM eMail this entry!
April 21, 2005
Digmital Details

Instapundit linked up this NY Times story that does a nice job summing up and comparing the latest digital SLR offerings from Nikon and Canon. Considering Ellen hasn't had her D70 more than a few weeks, we may just see if we can browbeat Best Buy into giving her a D70S (they SEEM to be the same price). *shrug*... stranger things have happened.

Posted by scott at 01:03 PM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2005
Definitely not Something You'd Make with a Bucket

As startling as these sand sculptures are, I can only imagine what they must be like in person. And it all washes away with the tide.

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
April 19, 2005
Smmmmassshhh!!!

And you thought a pile-up on the interstate was bad:

An iceberg the size of Luxembourg has smashed into another vast slab of ice that juts out from Antarctica.

The 115km-long B-15A iceberg broke off a 5km-long section of the Drygalski ice tongue when it collided with the protruding ice rivet in the Ross Sea.

Apparently it's big enough it might warrant re-drawing Antarctica's maps. Explain that one to the adjuster!

Posted by scott at 11:45 AM eMail this entry!
April 15, 2005
I Can See My House from Here III

Wired is running this nifty story on the impact of Google's new satellite imagery archive. From Burning Man to Tsunamis, it would seem almost every picture from space has a story to tell. Includes, of course, pictures!

Posted by scott at 12:28 PM eMail this entry!
Insert "Howard the Duck" Joke Here

Now that's what I call family planning:

U.S. officials bolstered security on Thursday for a duck nursing eggs near the White House to protect her from demonstrators at a global economic summit beginning on Friday.

Officials are concerned protesters could disturb the mallard hen, who is incubating what officials say are nine eggs at the foot of a tree on the sidewalk in front of the Treasury Department and next door to the presidential residence.

I wouldn't put it past some of these punks to do something mean to an animal just to make a point, and everyone knows these chimps like to throw things.

Posted by scott at 11:09 AM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2005
Buy This House, "and all your wildest dreams will come true."

Dude, Pedro's house is for sale!

Oh get over it. It's not often we're actually with it on some pop culture trend. We're gonna ride this one until it blows a gasket.

Which of course simply means we're a whole lot less "with it" than we'd like to be. Idiots!!!

Posted by scott at 01:22 PM eMail this entry!
Step By Step

Spaceflightnow has this interesting montage of pictures chronicling the space shuttle Discovery being mounted to its tank and boosters. I especially like the second picture in this series, because it provides a great perspective on just how big the VAB is.

Posted by scott at 09:33 AM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2005
Car Crazies

Ron gets a very retro no-prize for bringing us the story of The Car that Might Have Been:

Built for the 1953 Detroit Auto Show, the F-88 was Oldsmobile's answer to the Chevrolet Corvette. The Corvette had just been introduced, featuring a 6-cylinder engine, 2-speed automatic transmission and no windows. Meanwhile, the F-88 sported an Oldsmobile Rocket 88 V8, 4-speed Hydromatic transmission, and power windows and door latches. Designed by Harley J. Earl, the F-88 was roughly the same size as a Corvette and sporting a fiberglass body, the F-88 is considered by many to be the epitome of automotive forward-thinking of the 1950's, with its open top and lightweight structure.

Not so sure I agree with the "would've buried the Corvette" idealism though. This thing would've been quite a bit more expensive than the Corvette, perhaps even more than the Thunderbird. The T-bird was transformed into a big 4 seater precisely because it wasn't selling very well as an expensive sports car. The Corvette stayed alive mostly through politics and (comparatively) low cost. Detroit was, and to an extent still is, all about moving big numbers of cars, and the Olds just wouldn't have sold in the numbers required to be a success.

But it is awfully pretty, in a classic American '50s sort of way.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2005
A Hovercraft, for the Rest of Us

Ron gets a no-prize that glides efficiently across any surface for bringing us Universal Hovercraft, your one-stop-shop for all things, well, hovercraft. I especially like the Hoverwing. I wonder if you can waterski behind it?

Posted by scott at 09:04 AM eMail this entry!
April 07, 2005
Buried Treasure

Also in the Post today: construction workers discovered a Civil War-era casket while working on a Northwest Washington DC apartment complex. Those hairless chimpanzees we call "teenage boys" managed to vandalize it over the weekend, but it would appear the damage was limited. The occupant seems to be intact and visible, so it could make for a very interesting anthropology case.

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
April 06, 2005
Flash!

Some really neat flash animation!

It takes a few minutes to run through, but it's worth it.

Posted by Ellen at 07:37 PM eMail this entry!
Insert "Frikken Lasers" Joke Here

Slashdot linked up news of the development of a robotic shark. Developed by the grandson of famous oceanographer and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau, Fabien Cousteau, it's hoped this device will allow filmmakers to get very close to real great whites without spooking them.

Posted by scott at 12:24 PM eMail this entry!
April 05, 2005
David vs. The Borg

One of the things big business relies on in its dealings with those whom it considers "bad guys" is the sheer intimidation factor of lawsuits. All that legalese, all those expensive lawyers, and all that complicated law are counted on to combine and intimidate anyone, regardless of their guilt or innocence, essentially browbeating them into submission.

The problem is, of course, occasionally one of the little guys fights back:

Thanks to massive doses of caffeine, Zamos (whose name rhymes with "famous") anxiously taps his Camper lace-ups against the table. A laptop sits to his right, a fat black binder to his left.

The only thing setting him apart from the other late-night crammers is that his notebook isn't filled with study guides. It's overflowing with documents from the federal lawsuit Microsoft brought against him on December 21.

As the above case proves, just because conventional wisdom says defending a lawsuit can result in ruinious costs doesn't mean said conventional wisdom is right. It also confirms what I've always maintained... anyone can get away with occasional bad behavior, but make a habit out of it and you'll always run up against someone or something that stops you. Sometimes it's the long arm of the law; sometimes it's an auditor with a question that can't be answered; sometimes it's a loon with a gun; and sometimes, just sometimes, it's a college kid who drinks too much coffee.

Posted by scott at 12:18 PM eMail this entry!
Go Colorado!

Left lane banditry is now officially illegal in Colorado:

Colorado is serious about its no-dawdling law in left lanes. Drivers who insist on staying in the passing lane are risking tickets as the State Patrol has begun enforcing a law requiring motorists to use the left lane for passing only.

LLB's are not that much of a problem around here. There are too many lemmings on the road for there to really be any hope of a passing lane. Our problem, mentioned previously, is tailgaters. If we could figure out how to fine each tailgater $50 per incident, northern Virginia would have no problem with its transportation budget. We'd probably end up loaning the federal government money.

Don't believe me? The six-car pileup on the eastbound toll road, on a clear cloudless morning against the commute, would seem to prove you wrong.

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
April 03, 2005
Ooh... Ahh... Pretty...

Alfa Romeo was the featured marque at this year's Amelia Island (FL) Concours d'Elegance, so of course we're going to link up some pictures. Out of all the ones pictured, I think the golf cart is the only thing I could afford. Still, fun to look!

Posted by scott at 11:18 AM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2005
It's Called "Big Sky Country" for a Reason

Let's all take a time out from our busy day and ponder the wonder that is nature. Considering what their winters are like, I think pondering is as close as I want to get.

Posted by scott at 01:14 PM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2005
Insert "Pahk the Cah" Joke Here

Mahmood linked up this nifty "stream-of-consciousness" reminisce about a fellow Bahraini's college time in Boston. The funny thing is I get the impression Nina feels nearly as strange in that town as this guy did. Of course, New York might as well be another country...

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2005
Damned Time Machines are Popping Up Everywhere

No, I'm not switching over to DeLoreans, I just think they're interesting cars and in the spotlight with the recent passing of John DeLorean. However, DeLorean nuts should be interested to learn they can buy a "remanufactured" DMC-12, with prices starting at $37,000. Maybe mom can trade in her new car on one of these!

Posted by scott at 08:27 AM eMail this entry!
March 24, 2005
Speaking of the DeLorean

The Wikipedia entry for the DMC-12 is actually very good. 0-60 in 10 seconds, $56,000 in today's dollars. The thing is, in 1981 a 10-second 0-60 was actually decent. That's how far performance had fallen in the Nader heaven of the 70s. Crazy as it sounds, our Cruiser (which sometimes feels like it can be passed by energetic bicyclers) would actually give this swoopy thing a run for its money. Ah, progress...

Posted by scott at 07:18 PM eMail this entry!
Ron, I Now Have your Wedding Present

I mean, who wouldn't want a lawnmower-engined hoverboard. That's waybetter than some boring china or silverware set. I mean, if you can't put yourself in the emergency room with it, why do you want it the first place?

Oh no Amber, you can thank me later!

Posted by scott at 01:55 PM eMail this entry!
It's a Car! No! It's a Time Machine!

In rememberance of John DeLorean's passing, we have this BBCnews article about how his DMC12 is faring in the UK. We spot DeLoreans toodling around our neighborhood once or twice a year... about as often as we see Lamborghinis but far less often than Ferraris (being near the biggest Ferarri dealership in the mid-Atlantic has its advantages). There seems to be one person around here who owns one still in its classic brushed metal finish, while another has one painted red. Why paint them? Well, you can't do conventional bodywork and maintain that finish, so I'm figuring the red one must've gotten pranged at some point.

Still, I certainly wouldn't push one out of my garage!

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
Death by Sun

Free time + shop skills + lots of mirrors =

The Solar Death Ray!!!

Actually, it looks like a home-built version of a giant flower-thing they had outside the Pentagon back in, I think, 1999. As I recall it was part of a "solar external combustion" experiement, although most people assumed they were talking to little green men or something.

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
March 23, 2005
~ The Ey-es of Bill are Apon You ~

Everyone's favorite Science Guy is back, this time with a new more "adult-oriented" show. Program listing doesn't show any DC-area airings scheduled at this point, hopefully that'll change. Time to tinker with the Tivo!

Posted by scott at 10:33 AM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2005
Latte Art
Posted by scott at 01:35 PM eMail this entry!
Sub Update

Fark linked up a more detailed account of the sunken super sub this morning, and this one includes some pictures.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
March 21, 2005
Surprising Sunken Sub Situation Sighted

Jeff gets a no-prize shaped like a torpedo for bringing us news of an interesting discovery in the waters near Hawaii:

The wreckage of a large World War II-era Japanese submarine has been found by researchers in waters off Hawaii.

A research team from the University of Hawaii discovered the I-401 submarine Thursday during test dives off Oahu.

These were gigantic subs built by Japan at the end of the war, sunk by the US Navy after the surrender to keep them out of Russian hands. Interestingly, you can see one of the aircraft this sub was meant to launch on display at the Udvar-Hazy annex of the Air and Space Museum. As I recall, the complete restoration took something like seven years, and the result looks something like a cross between a Stuka, a Hurricane, and a Zero, with floats stuck on.

Posted by scott at 12:02 PM eMail this entry!
Spidery Goodness

Autoexpress is carrying this first look at the new Brera-based Alfa spider, which is expected to premiere at the Frankfurt auto show this September. No, I don't want one, I already got a spider. Still crossing my fingers for that 159 though...

Posted by scott at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2005
Did We Mention the "Nerd" Part?

My God... they have the National Geographic Channel! How cool! We. Must. Watch!

Ellen: "First up... Infestations. Ooooooo..."

Posted by scott at 05:47 PM eMail this entry!
Probably a More Expressive Actor than Christensen

Joshua gets a no-prize with a stone respirator attached for bringing us the precise location of the Darth Vader grotesque at the National Cathedral. As the site notes, like much of the cathedral's decoration you'll need a pair of binoculars to see it. Still, gives us another excuse to go out there. The gardens should start blooming soon too. Can you say "photo safari?" I knew you could...

Posted by scott at 11:58 AM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2005
Surely You're not Suggesting that Musicals Migrate?!?

Not only has Eric Idle adapted Monty Python and the Holy Grail to Broadway, it would appear that it most definitely does not suck:

Turning the 1974 classic comedy "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" into "Spamalot" took Python member Eric Idle three years of work. And it looks like that hard work is paying off, with the show proving a critical darling in its pre-Broadway run and a box-office smash before it even opens.

Considering the Queen Mother's* proximity to NYC, this one actually might be do-able as a family vacation. If nothing else we'll be looking forward to the road show!

-----
* Ellen's mom. No, really!

Posted by scott at 02:22 PM eMail this entry!
That "S" Word

Carrie gets a stylish no-prize for bringing us news of a new exhibition opening in Boston:

Ralph Lauren looks like he's at a fashion show, striding down the aisle in his wide-shouldered pinstripes, surrounded by beautiful creations under bright lights. But these models are cars, and the occasion is an exhibit at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts of classic automobiles from Lauren's personal collection.

Don't miss the slide show, especially #6!

The rest of the article does touch a bit on the straits car manufacturers find themselves in today, but slouches down the "American cars used to suck, and now that they don't they can't sell any" easy path.

An Economist article from June was much better. According to the article, the problem is it's very expensive to create modern cars, so expensive an automaker needs to bang out something like 200,000 of them in the first year just to break even. When you're dealing with numbers on that scale, it's extremely risky to go "out there" with avante-gaurde ideas. The cooler you try to make something, the greater the risk too few people will agree with you.

So what everyone is looking for is a way to make it cheaper to create and build cars. GM seems to be the furthest out there, with innovative "fluid form" technologies that actually mold metal without requiring the heat of casting or the expense of forging. By doing away with the expensive stamping machines and the tooling required to make them work, GM thinks it can make money on as few as 20,000 units per year. If they can, and with entries like the Solstice coming in for less than $25,000 US I think they will, we'll see an explosion of comparatively inexpensive, distinctive models, one for every niche you can imagine.

If not, well, it's not like there's anything wrong with a Camry. As long as, you know, you have an old Alfa Romeo in the garage.

Posted by scott at 10:01 AM eMail this entry!
Sesame Street Around the World

Ever wanted to see what Sesame Street looked like in another country? It's pretty neat!

And yes, there is an HIV positive character.

What are you waiting for? Go check it out!

Posted by Ellen at 06:10 AM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2005
Rubber Flippers!

A dolphin, equipped with what is believed to be the world's first artificial fin, demonstrated her swimming and jumping skills to celebrate her recovery at a Japanese aquarium.

The dolphin, named Fuji, carried a message in a case with her mouth, splashed the water with a giant jump and climbed onto a stage in front of 750 spectators at the Churaumi Aquarium on the sub-tropical island of Okinawa.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
March 12, 2005
As Long as It's Not Yellow

As we in the south slowly emerge from winter, let's all take some time to check out the miracle that is snow sculpture. And you thought that giant snow wang your friends built back in college was cool...

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
March 11, 2005
OOOO!!

Scott says I'm not allowed to do the house up like this.

Good thing he lets me decorate in cat themes!

Posted by Ellen at 08:19 PM eMail this entry!
Nifty Utility

Slashdot reported on a nifty new utilty from IBM. In a nutshell: load this software on any USB device, plug said device into dead computer, and presto, computer boots up with a whole host of recovery options available. In their example an iPod was used, and the original functionality of the device was not affected. Kewl!

Posted by scott at 12:48 PM eMail this entry!
Now That's What I Call a Commuter Car

FS: 1969 FRT, SMK BMBS, .30MG, TRRT, TRK DRV GOOD SHAPE VRY CLEAN $25,000 obo:

A car dealer in New Hampshire recently got an unusual trade-in from a collector in Florida, and now customers have the opportunity to purchase some serious hardware.

On the lot of the Hampton Motor Company is a 1969 Ferret Scout tank looming over the other automobiles.

Don't need it, and if we had it wouldn't let Ellen drive it during commute hours. It's not that she's a bad driver, far from it. It's just she has... [whisper]anger issues[/whisper]. Trust me, she doesn't need a road rage enabler. None of you people would be safe.

Posted by scott at 08:02 AM eMail this entry!
March 10, 2005
Speaking of Screen Shots...

GamesPaper news has this look at the upcoming Alfa race game. Gentlemen, start your computers!

Posted by scott at 12:35 PM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2005
Fun with Blocks

I'm not exactly sure what this thing is supposed to mean, but it was interesting to look at. The numbers at the beginning are it downloading. The show will start when they hit 100.

Posted by scott at 03:50 PM eMail this entry!
Mmm... Crunchy...

Sarah G. and Joshua get to share a no-prize with carbon-steel teeth for nearly simultaneously sending us graphic demonstrations of just how effective a shredder can be.

Oh don't worry, nothing and nobody was harmed in the making of the videos. Although that refridgerator and couch have definitely seen better days.

Posted by scott at 01:41 PM eMail this entry!
Looks Like It's Time to Buy a Wheel/Pedal Set

Because the Alfa Romeo racing game seems to be on schedule. Upgrading the driver instead of the car is an interesting angle, and could allow them to employ really high-fidelity physics for the cars. After all, the standard GTA-style "three upgrades per system" would be really hard to justify on a 1932 8C2300. Although I wouldn't put it past some ricers to try to fit low-profile wheels and tires on one.

Now to find screenshots...

Posted by scott at 09:51 AM eMail this entry!
March 07, 2005
Must... Buy... Useless... Crap...

Promising to be "your daily guide for unique products", Mekkem.com seems to be a combination of all those weird mall gadget stores you browse around in but from which you never actually buy anything. From self-heating teapots to a "dancing desk water show" (really!), they've got it all and then some. In other words, if it looks cool and does something simple or goofy for a whole lot of money, you'll probably find it here.

Ah who am I kidding. I gotta have that tank game. Where's my credit card...

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2005
Definitely Gotta Get One of These

*Sigh*... So many cool toys, so little cash. Actually I think something like this could be a pretty good opportunity for someone looking to build their own "racing arcade" business. They're a lot better than the stuff you get at Dave and Busters at any rate.

Posted by scott at 03:46 PM eMail this entry!
Maybe it's Time to Start Saving Nickles and Dimes Too

The news from Geneva just seems to get better and better (emphasis added):

In a polished and well thought out speech, [new CEO] Kalbfell spoke of his plans, as well as mentioning, for the first time officially, that a return to the USA was on the cards.
...
It is also believed that GM are busily co-operating with Alfa Romeo in order to get the 'Premium' floorpan finalised for US homologation, ready for the Alfa 159 and Brera's North American arrival late next year.

Yeah, and they'll be using GM engines too. Might as well buy a Pontiac. Well, not quite:

The engine is uniquely different from any of the other variants of the GM V6 engine range, and can be described as a true Alfa Romeo gem, with the majority of components having been redesigned around the bare block.

As described by the leader behind the technical development centre at Alfa Romeo, Paulo Massai, the block itself can be regarded as an “insensitive and inanimate piece of metal”, with the features that determine the true soul of the engine having been fully engineered from the ground up.

Skepticisms about the GM connotations of this engine should thus be swept under the carpet, as the engine features a brand new cylinder head, new liners, pistons, manifolds and injection system, to name but a few of the changes.

The trick is, as always, figuring out how to afford one. I hear children are fetching very high prices nowadays...

Oh come on people. It's a joke. I wouldn't sell Olivia. I'm sure reasonable leasing deals would be far more lucrative.

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2005
MMmmm...Lobster...

He's Bubba, a 22-pound leviathan of a lobster pulled from the waters off Nantucket, Mass., and shipped to a Pittsburgh fish market. The lobster has been kept in a tank near a fish counter in Wholey's Market since Thursday while owner Bob Wholey tried to figure out what to do with it.

On Tuesday, Wholey gave the lobster to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, which will send him to an aquarium at a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum.

Based on how long it typically takes a lobster to reach eating size about five to seven years to grow to a pound some estimate Bubba is 100 years old.

Read entire article here.

With pix!

Posted by Ellen at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2005
The Color of WWI

Silflay linked up these very interesting color photographs from World War I. Maybe the shutterbugs in the audience can help explain why these pictures are, for the most part, so startlingly clear and bright, when most other WWI photography seems so gritty and dindge. Subsequent photoshopping?

Regardless, I think it's a bit startling to realize every single person in these picturees, right down to the children, are now long gone. It was a time of fundamental transition from the pastoral to the industrial, and as such there are many, many reminders of a far different age than our own. It's good to keep in mind these people had no access to antibiotics, usually had more than ten children (of whom perhaps seven would live past their fifth birthday), and typically (in the US at least) lived on a farm with mules instead of tractors.

Posted by scott at 04:07 PM eMail this entry!
February 28, 2005
Counting Coins

I tend to look at the dates on the coins in my pocket pretty regulary. I'm always surprised just how old some coins still in circulation really are, and I like to think about what was going on in the world when a particular coin was struck. Well, now I have a more practical reason for keeping an eye on those dates. If I can only remember them, that is. Time to pop the corks on those piggy banks...

Posted by scott at 03:20 PM eMail this entry!
February 25, 2005
Polly Wants a T.V. Series!

No-Prize to my Mom in Ny who sent me this.

Works best for those of you with NO dialup!

Posted by Ellen at 03:47 PM eMail this entry!
Nac Mac Feegle!!!

Slashdot linked up news that a fan group have created a full-length movie based on Terry Pratchett's Lords and Ladies. Because it's slashdot, you have zero chance of beating the millions of geeks in their mom's basements* to the original link. Scroll down a bit to find mirrors for the trailer.

Yes, it's cheesy, but it also looks like it might not suck. Certainly can't be any worse than Battlefield Earth.

-----
* I have my own basement thank you.

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
February 23, 2005
Even More Alfa News

As we get closer to the Geneva unveiling of the 159 and Brera, more websites are publishing pictures and info. This CarPages site summarizes the latest publicity photos and press releases. Looking very nice, but with things like full-time AWD and continuously variable valve timing, also very expensive.

In other decidedly less cool Alfa news, Fiat is switching the entire line to GM-based engines. Holden V-6s to be precise. While something of a downer, it should be noted the real heart of the engine, what makes all the power and most of the character, is the head design, and that's still something Alfa itself will still be in charge of.

I still want one. There's penny four thousand seven hundred sixty two, there's penny four thousand seven hundred sixty three...

Posted by scott at 10:34 AM eMail this entry!
February 22, 2005
~ Rolly Polly Roly Poly Fish Heads ~

If this Silflay article is any indication, the troops in Iraq do occasionally have some time for recreation. Now if we can just figure out what sort of fish they're catching.

Posted by scott at 03:26 PM eMail this entry!
Blammo!

Cool only because nobody was seriously injured: an abject lesson in why people shouldn't screw around with trains. Apparently the cameras were set up by a lawyer trying to prove how unsafe the crossing was. Proof don't get much better than that!

Posted by scott at 11:36 AM eMail this entry!
February 19, 2005
It Just Keeps Getting Better

Well lookee here:

[Milestone Entertainment] has recently been picked by Alfa Romeo to create a game that focuses on the car company and its rich history in automobiles and motorsport.

S.C.A.R. - Squadra Corse Alfa Romeo, to give it its full name, will allow Alfa Romeo fans to revel in both the present and past of the century-old car company.

In all honesty, if someone wanted to create a video game that covered the entire history of Grand Prix racing, one could do a lot worse than picking Alfa Romeo. Well, if one wanted to avoid toodling around in vehicles with swastikas on them anyway.

For PC and X-box. This definitely makes picking Christmas presents for the guys a lot easier.

Posted by scott at 07:34 AM eMail this entry!
February 18, 2005
There's Penny One, There's Penny Two...

Why count them? Because I'm going to need every one I can save if I want to afford one of these babies:

Just ten days before the brand-new Alfa Romeo 159 makes it's hugely anticipated international debut at the 75th Geneva International Motor Show, we provide the closest look yet as to how the Giugiaro-designed sports sedan will appear with this photoshop enhanced spyshot.

And why, do you ask, do I even care? Because:

The Alfa 159 is going to be a genuine world beater, with the car fully engineered for export to North America. Its US ambitions are visually given away by its increased dimensions, larger door mirrors and raised roof height, all requirements of the demanding American market. The Stateside debut will most likely occur in 2007, when the automatic gearbox versions of the Alfa Spider will also be introduced.

No, I don't want a Spider. I got one of those.

Oh be quiet. Olivia won't mind if she goes to college a few years later. It'll build character. Yeah, that's it...

Posted by scott at 01:25 PM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2005
Have Cash, will Purchase

The US Alfa Romeo community (all eight of us) has been rocked by news of a surprising development over at FIAT:

Fiat announces that the ownership of Maserati, currently wholly owned by Ferrari, will be transferred as soon as practicable to Fiat.
...
"The technical and commercial collaboration between Maserati and Alfa Romeo will give the latter the necessary impetus to re-establish itself as a leading contender in its segment and to expand its presence in international markets, as has occurred for Maserati.”

More news about the buyout can be found here (reg req.) and here (reg not req.)

What does it mean for us? Well, that's not completely clear, but phrases like "gaurantees a return to the US" are definitely being thrown around. Of course, that's what they said when GM bought a chunk of Fiat six years ago, and look how that turned out.

Regardless, I've always thought Alfa would represent a great volume marque for Ferrari/Maserati dealerships. I mean, how many $100,000+ cars can you really sell in a month? It also makes a lot more sense to have a GT parked next to a Quattroporte than it does to have one parked next to a Punto. Finally, it'll give the marque a built-in dealer network that actually wants to deal with quirky Italian machinery*.

We have what must be one of the largest Ferrari/Maserati dealerships on the east coast barely a five minute drive from our house. Which is to say, it's about the size of the Chevy dealership in my home town (population 5200). Only, you know, with nicer cars out front. Time to go pay those guys a visit...

Oh, and the first one who comments "Alfas suck! Save your money and buy a (Oldsmobuick|Honda|Jeep|Truck|Minivan|Ricer)!" will get themselves Daffodilled. As Ellen would say, "Undahstand?!?"

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* The last real attempt to revitalize Alfa's long-neglected dealer network was the Chrysler merger back in the mid-80s. The combination of fiddly "forn" machinery and a network more used to cheap cars and simple pickups was, shall we say, less than successful. Alfisiti were worried about the GM merger for the same reasons.

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2005
Engine Tech

Gearheads in the audience should be interested to learn about a new engine that doesn't need throttle butterflies. Instead, air metering done by varying the lift of the intake valve itself. Per cylinder no less. It's claimed to give an extra 10% boost in horsepower and economy. Of course, since it's Fiat, Alfa's parent company, we won't be seeing them any time soon. Ah well...

Posted by scott at 09:42 AM eMail this entry!
February 15, 2005
I Think "Repli-Henge" is a Much Better Name

BBCnews is carrying this report on the completion of "Stonehenge Aotearoa", a (duh) Stonehenge-like construction near New Zealand's capital, Wellington. While made of modern materials and even wired for sound, the new henge's primary function is the same as the old... an open-air observatory. It's main goal is to help people learn the basics of astronomy.

Posted by scott at 12:45 PM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2005
Ooo... Scary...

Even though I knew about two paragraphs in that this "cry for help" website was a hoax, it still gave me a slight shiver:

I can hear them.

Even though the windows are boarded up.

The terrible clicking noise.

I don't think they are smart enough to figure out how to get in. Good thing Tom's uncle had been doing remodeling here. Plenty of tools, wood and nails. But I suspect that they could chew through the walls if they could figure out how....

Weird things creeping around my house at night is a personal freak point. Ellen would take advantage of it, but she has a similar even stronger fear. I'm sure our friends occasionally consider messing with our heads, but hopefully they realize getting thwacked by a baseball bat would be the best they could hope for.

Posted by scott at 10:35 AM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2005
Pajamahadeen: 2, MSM: 0

While mom was the one who called me just now to let me know, it would appear Eason Jordan resigned last night.

I love the smell of bloggers typing in the morning... smells like... victory.

Pardon me, I have to go do a happy dance now.

Posted by scott at 07:03 PM eMail this entry!
I Guess I was Born in the Wrong Country

Because otherwise I fit the definition of a bush mechanic pretty well:

A Bush Mechanic is someone who fixes his own car by using wood and anything that he can find to replace the certain part that is broken. He can get himself out of trouble and drive to the nearest place to find the right parts for his car.

Liz gets a no-prize that's ugly but works for bringing us yet another quirky aspect of Aussie culture.

And don't miss the short video, it takes awhile to get going, but the ending is great.

Posted by scott at 08:31 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2005
A Magic Tanker Ride

Armor Geddon does it again, this time with the ultimate explosive home movie. Crash bang boom!

Use the torrent link if you can, it'll be a lot faster. Took me ~ 10 minutes to download it earlier this morning that way.

Posted by scott at 08:23 AM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2005
When Jacuzzis Attack

We've already decided that if our next house has a back yard, we're getting a hot tub. My dad has one, and when we were visiting last summer, if it weren't for the drowning risk, I think Ellen would've slept in it. However, there's hot tubs, and then there's hot tubs:

Jacuzzi is synonymous of hydromassage worldwide. Pininfarina represents the culture of a project applied to innovation. An exciting encounter from which an original way of imagining and living in the bathroom is born. Pininfarina design for unique bathroom sanitary ware.

For the great unwashed in the audience (ha!), Pininfarina designs most Ferraris, some Lamborghinis, and more than a few Alfas. I'm sure these things have Ferrari prices too. Still, they're darned pretty.

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2005
Next Best Thing to Being There?

Slashdot linked up this site which provides high-resolution 360 degree panoramas of Apollo-mission photography. Things like this have been released before, but never with this level of detail. The site is, of course, slashdotted, so it may be worthwhile to wait until it falls off their front page (some time this afternoon).

Posted by scott at 09:50 AM eMail this entry!
February 08, 2005
Speed Kit

Ron gets a no-prize in a box for bringing us the Noble M12 GTO-R, the ultimate "not-quite-production, not-quite-kit" car. Powered by a 350 hp turbocharged V6, this mid-engined rocket is capable of mid-11 quarters and can pull over 1 G lateral acceleration.

The catch, if you can call it that, is you buy it in two pieces... the car, and then the drivetrain. Either on your own or through an "independent contractor", the two are mated after delivery, and there's your car. This (for now at least) neatly gets around all those bothersome federal testing requirements, allowing super-car level performance at a comparatively reasonable ($56,000) price.

No, you can't go pick up groceries in it. That's what the truck is for!

Posted by scott at 08:40 AM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2005
Alfa News

Alfa Romeo will be unveiling the replacement for its current GTV at the Geneva Auto Show later this month. In the meantime, they've released these pictures of the new car, called the Brera.

If GM actually brings Alfa back to the US, this will be one of the cars they bring. I can't say I find the thing to be pretty, but it's definitely different. However, this sort of impression isn't unusual for new Alfas, and if past experience is any guide, it will age very well over time.

Unfortunately it'll probably age very well over there. Current news has Fiat and GM in a big brawl over who has to buy what from whom, and the date for Alfa's arrival just keeps getting pushed further and further back.

Posted by scott at 08:19 AM eMail this entry!
February 04, 2005
Big Science

BBCnews is carrying this report on the soon-to-be-activated CERN Large Hadron Collider. The main instruments are built inside a perfectly circular 17-mile tunnel, while others are placed inside gigantic man-made caverns.

To me, the thing looks like the inside of every "lab experiment before it goes wrong" shooter set I've ever seen. All they need now is Gordon Freeman and his enviro-suit.

Posted by scott at 11:56 AM eMail this entry!
February 03, 2005
Zapping Cars

Fark linked up news that EMP "disablers" are becoming more practical:

James Tatoian, chief executive of Eureka Aerospace in Pasadena, California, is developing a system that uses microwave energy to interfere with microchips inside cars. Once the chip is overloaded with excessive current, the car ceases to function, and will gradually decelerate on its own, he said.
...
Tatoian said that while he is not the first to come up with the idea of using electromagnetic interference to stop cars, he has been able to reduce the size and power consumption of such a device so that it would be much more portable.

Which is yet another reason to enjoy the ol' Alfa... the only transistors on it (let alone CPUs) are in the radio, and I don't usually have that on. Muhahahahahaha...

Gah. I need to get out more.

Posted by scott at 01:04 PM eMail this entry!
Actually, I think a Borg Cube Would've Been More Appropriate

Joshua gets a no-prize disguised as a toy for bringing us the best X-box case mod I've ever seen (so far). I wonder if it voids the warranty?

Posted by scott at 08:06 AM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2005
"Spee" Lunking

Jeff gets a no-prize covered in barnacles for bringing us news of attempts to raise the German battleship, Graf Spee. Located not far off the coast of Uruguay in comparatively shallow water, the ship has recently been discovered to be in fairly good shape. Divers are today planning on raising the range finder, a component that held the first radar antenna installed on the ship. From the very brief mentions provided in the article, it appears their plan is to raise the ship bit by bit and re-assemble it in a (land-based) museum nearby.

Posted by scott at 12:59 PM eMail this entry!
Somehow This Doesn't Seem All That "Easy"

Why would anyone buy the world's longest chopper bike? Duh, because they can. Kinda looks like what the previous story's GI Joe would drive.

Posted by scott at 11:42 AM eMail this entry!
January 27, 2005
The Best Pick Up Line EVER!!

Scott would just say women are mean.

Posted by Ellen at 06:47 PM eMail this entry!
Vroom Vroom!

Ron Robert H.* gets a rough-and-ready no-prize for bringing us a detailed look at the Jeep Hurricane concept car. Dual motors, extreme four-wheel steering, carbon fiber body... what's not to love?

-----
* It is never good to debug code and blog post at the same time. Things get crossed up.

Posted by scott at 01:23 PM eMail this entry!
Table Display

I don't know if they're the most beautiful displays, but these periodic table installations sure beat the hell out of those posters that were in my high school. I especially like the way they handled noble gases. Now, if I could only figure out how to get one in the house.

Via Reflections in D Minor.

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2005
This Would Make a Perfect Lawn Ornament

It'd certainly beat the hell out of all the dratted cats in our front yard. Unfortunately:

A Cambridge man trying to sell a deactivated Soviet-era missile on eBay has been forced to delete it after Web site staff contacted him for breaching company rules.

But eBay told Richard Moore to remove the missile because he broke eBay regulations by listing it alongside its vehicle launcher, which should have appeared as a separate item -- and not because it was a weapon.

I think it'd also make a great commuter vehicle. Especially with the missle on the back. Might have some trouble fitting it into the parking garage though...

Posted by scott at 02:43 PM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2005
OOOO!!!!!

This is my kind of car!

Posted by Ellen at 08:03 PM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2005
2004 Storms
Posted by scott at 08:25 PM eMail this entry!
January 22, 2005
YUMMY!!

Dessert Sushi.

Hostess Cakes loves you.

Posted by Ellen at 11:00 AM eMail this entry!
January 21, 2005
High-Tech Hajji

Problem: Terrorists are infesting your neighborhood, but if you even look at the cops they'll get you and your kids.

Solution: T-Mobile!

In the volatile Shiite-Sunni towns south of Baghdad known as the "triangle of death," Iraqi civilians increasingly are letting their thumbs do the talking, via Arabic text messages sent from the safety of their homes, Iraqi security forces and U.S. Marines say.

Like I've always said: "No increase in mandkind's ability to communicate has ever resulted in a decrease in liberty." The best thing about this is there's no way the terrorists can stop it. The worst thing, our guys have to be careful they don't get used as proxies in some neighborhood pissing contest.

But I think our guys are careful. After all this time, they better be.

Maybe, just this once, I'll admit that cellphones in public have their uses.

Via IFOC

Posted by scott at 07:22 PM eMail this entry!
Cable Tech

I stumbled across "CableCard" only recently, when I saw some TV sets equipped with the technology featured in a Crutchfield catalog. Now, via Slashdot, C|Net is providing us with the low-down on this up-and-coming technology. In a nutshell: instead of separate set-top box, all you'll need to get cable service is a card. Said card can then be inserted into any CableCard-ready TV and viola! TV service.

At least that's the theory. According to the article, it looks like the tech has several years to go before it matures enough to fulfill its promises.

I detest cable boxes, always have. They add unneeded complexity to a TV system and their implications for things like VCRs and TiVos are just about impossible to explain to folks who don't play with electronics for a living. Anything that promises to get rid of them automatically has my interest.

Looks like we'll need to hold off buying that mondo TV a few more years.

Posted by scott at 03:46 PM eMail this entry!
~ I Need a Hero ~

Congratulations to Lt. Prakash of Armor Geddon, who recently picked up a Silver Star:

After leading his platoon through a fierce onslaught, enemy fire pounding them from every direction, 1st Lt. Neil Prakash went back in for more.

First Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. John R.S. Batiste joined Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment at FOB Scunion Jan. 14 to award this 24-year-old tank platoon leader one of the military’s highest honors - the Silver Star Medal.

Also gives a nice bio of the guy, and some pictures.

Posted by scott at 12:00 PM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2005
Mona Lisa Overmilled?

Ron gets a no-prize in an elegant Louis the XV cabinet for bringing us news of the "$55,000 PC". As with most really outrageous price tags for seemingly cheap stuff, there's more to this than it seems. They're actually selling a $50,000 custom-designed hand-built business desk with a $5,000 PC engineered into it. Pitched that way, it's still kind of wacky but definitely nothing out of the ordinary for the Fortune 50 set.

Posted by scott at 09:04 AM eMail this entry!
January 17, 2005
Shootin' Time

Armor Geddon has a guest author today, and in spite of what said author thinks, he's just about as good as Prakash:

In what turned out to be one of the funniest and scariest moments of the entire battle, shooting erupted from several houses on the edge of the city after [my platoon] got about halfway to the house. I say it was funny because I watched all of my rough and tough scouts tuck their tails between their legs and turn right around and run away from the house they were supposed to go clear. I couldn’t really blame them though since the house became a whole lot less interesting once the shooting started.

Go on... you know you want to read the whole thing...

Posted by scott at 04:19 PM eMail this entry!
January 16, 2005
See! Tossing Things at the Ceiling is Good

There wasn't a kid in my grade school who didn't get something stuck in the ceiling of a public building. They'd become mini-monuments, something we'd all walk by and say "remember when Stuart squeezed the ketchup pack so hard it hit the ceiling? It's still there!" It's nice to know this is a long standing practice:

The family of a boy whose tennis ball got stuck high up in a cathedral archway have asked for it back - almost a century later.

It has been lodged in the mouldings of Lincoln Cathedral since 1914.

Even better is that, apparently, nobody else had ever noticed it was there. But then the story takes a downright educational twist:

The ball is believed to be among the oldest surviving examples in the UK.

The earliest proper tennis ball held in the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum dates from 1916, while Gilbert Bell's is from at least 1914.

Somehow I don't think "I'm trying to preserve history!" will get much sympathy from my wife or the priest were I to try and save a modern tennis ball in the same way.

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2005
If Only All Home Improvement Were This Interesting

This week's "broke down a wall and found a treasure" story is courtesy of the Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata, in the heart of Florence. Researchers have uncovered a set of rooms that were used as a workshop by none other than Leonardo DaVinci. The article doesn't mention just how long the rooms were walled off from the rest of the monastery, but it does mention the existence of DaVinci frescos depicting the work he was up to at the time.

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
January 13, 2005
Barn Envy

Well, it looks like barn finds still do happen:

It turns out that the [1964 Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider] was owned by the same lady from new. She parked the car in 1978 with just under 29,000 miles after a surgery that left her upper body seriously weakened. Whether it was started regularly or not is unknown, but absolutely everything worked when we started it up again 26 years later.

I'll shake his hand if I ever meet him, but I'll be mumbling "lucky bastard" under my breath when I do.

Posted by scott at 12:09 PM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2005
War Composition

The photographers in the audience (you know who you are) will hopefully appreciate this Instapundit-linked photoblog of scenes from Iraq. Includes some very nicely composed shots.

I envy people who can do this well. If compliments are to be believed, I'm a good "action" photographer... I can catch those instant moments, especially (for some reason) involving vehicles. But introspection, careful composition, even those little surprises, they seem to be beyond me.

Ah well. I'll leave the artsy stuff for Joshua and Ellen. I'll be the one snapping pictures at the airshow.

Which reminds me... local peanut gallery members should consider this their first notice. The Thunderbirds will be at Andrews this year, May 21st and 22nd. Since I know none of you have been to the open house, and most of you are airplane and/or powerful vehicle nuts, attendance will be both expected and required. You have been warned. ;)

Posted by scott at 06:07 PM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2005
Back in My Archeology Days, We Called this a "BFR"

Synthstuff links up a nifty picture we saw in the Post this morning (no reg required). Sad things is, had that happened around here, there'd be six cars piled into it from either side. Your gigantic granite mass is no match for my $65,000 SUV! Have at you!

Posted by scott at 07:13 PM eMail this entry!
Better than a Beltway Crackup

Q: What would happen if an iceberg the size of Long Island collided with a glacier?

A: I don't know either, but there's a pretty good chance we'll find out around January 15th.

Looks like a monstrous aircraft carrier getting ready to dock.

Posted by scott at 01:54 PM eMail this entry!
At Least This Won't Puke on My Dinner Table

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing the "Robosapien V2", a follow-up to last year's Christmas hit. We saw V1 all over the place, but never paid much attention to it. Olivia liked it because it was black and white with red flashing lights, and had buttons to push*. This new one is larger and has more behaviors, and they're coming out with two additional "companions" that it will "play" with.

I never thought "I can remember a time when toys only moved when you played with them" was going to be something I'd end up telling my child. Goodness knows what they'll be like in 5 years.

------
* In this respect, she is most definitely her father's child.

Posted by scott at 10:01 AM eMail this entry!
January 10, 2005
One Cool Hearse

Scott!! Can I have one?

Posted by Ellen at 07:09 PM eMail this entry!
Brings a Whole New Meaning to "Secret Selection Box"

Columbia House, the "12-CDs for a Penny and Your Immortal Soul!!!" record club, is branching out a bit:

Columbia House ... will launch its own adult video club with Playboy Entertainment at the end of this month. The service, called Hush, will sell pornography through direct mail and a Web site.

The article says they'll be using catalogs other than Playboy's, although no real specifics were given. This is fortunate, because the bunny's stuff is usually not much more than a hard "R".

Rrmm... ahh... so I've been told. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Posted by scott at 01:37 PM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2005
BOOM!

Lt. Prakash (no, really!) gives us a superb look at the pointy end of the stick. AKA a full company of tanks opening fire, all at once, in the dark, pointing at some poor Haji bastards inside Fallujah. 99.9% of the time, I'm really grateful for our troops doing their job over there, and that it's them instead of me.

But every once in awhile, when I see something like this...

Yeah, I know, I'm an armchair warrior. Worst of the bunch, a white male barbarian interested in nothing but death and destruction that he can watch from the comfort of his own home. Hell I'm even a buddhist... obviously a really bad one.

F*ck 'em. Blowing up terrorists is cool.

Posted by scott at 07:32 PM eMail this entry!
~ As We Go Tweeling Merrily Along ~

Fark linked up this article about developments toward the holy grail of tire manufacture... a tire without air. By using innovative new materials and design technologies, Michelin has developed the "tweel", a tire-wheel combination in which the tread is actually glued to the wheel. Current applications are geared toward military uses and things like wheel chairs, but they're expecting the things to appear on cars within ten years or so.

Posted by scott at 11:48 AM eMail this entry!
January 06, 2005
How Bout a Spot of Tea?

A small wooden tea chest has returned to Boston more than 230 years after rebellious colonists dumped it overboard during a famous protest that helped set the scene for the American War of Independence.

Or at least that's what the new owners would like you to believe.

Historic Tours of America unveiled on Wednesday what it said was a piece of American history: one of only two known surviving tea chests from the Boston Tea Party of December 16, 1773.

Read entire article here.
Posted by Ellen at 09:03 AM eMail this entry!
January 05, 2005
Fake Boobs=Longer Life

Having reconstructive surgery does not reduce the life expectancy of women with breast cancer, research suggests.

In fact women who had breast implants after a mastectomy had a lower risk of dying from cancer, the study involving 5,000 patients over 12 years found.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 08:50 PM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2005
Speaking of Elephants...

Even more proof that a giant mutated mamalian brain is no substitute for common sense:

Agitated elephants felt the tsunami coming, and their sensitivity saved about a dozen foreign tourists from the fate of thousands killed by the giant waves.

Several recent documentaries I've seen involving elephants* have noted the recent discovery that they "hear" extremely low frequency sounds through their feet. It's apparently one way they communicate with each other. Having a 9.0 earthquake somewhere in the area must've been the elephant equivalent of the amplifier detonation sequence in Back to the Future. No wonder they ran.

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* Yeah, several. Involving elephants. Stop looking at me that way. The first person who whispers "nerd" under their breath is gonna get clobbered, I swear!

Posted by scott at 03:00 PM eMail this entry!
Have Pachyderm, will Travel

Problem: Tsunami wreckage makes it impossible to even get cleanup equipment near some sites.

Solution: Use something that doesn't require any infrastructure at all:

"[Elephants] will be assigned to work in towing heavy objects and pulling out debris," said Siriphong Leeprasit, a district official in Phang Nga. "Elephants could work better in pulling out the remains of collapsed buildings and houses, especially in areas flooded with mud or hilly areas."

In Indonesia, another 11 elephants - native to badly hit Sumatra island - have been pressed into similar duty because there were few trucks and other heavy equipment to do the job there. A TV report showed them pulling a sport utility vehicle from a collapsed building.

And they even work for peanuts!

Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week... try the veal!

Posted by scott at 09:23 AM eMail this entry!
December 30, 2004
Silver Linings

Instapundit linked up this nice compendium of good news for 2004. In a nutshell: in most ways that really count, overall this was a damned good year for humanity.

Posted by scott at 05:08 PM eMail this entry!
December 29, 2004
That'll Do, That'll Do Nicely

Damion gets a widescreen no-prize for bringing us news of the world's largest plasma TV. Measuring out at a mean 102 inches, this Samsung monster easily stomps the year-old record holder's 80 inches. Now if I can just figure out how to get it up the stairway...

Posted by scott at 03:02 PM eMail this entry!
December 28, 2004
Tsunami Pixes
Posted by Ellen at 09:07 PM eMail this entry!
Shaggy Skinny Dog Story

Our blog acquaintance Mahmood recently fell victim to the dreaded "cute dog" disease:

I woke up this morning thinking I was in an inquisition! Being questioned by her who should be obeyed as to why we can't keep it. I spent more than 30 minutes convincing her of the various reasons. She seemed to take that ok, as my points of view were logical. But logic is the farthest away from that woman's mind if she's determined, so she used another weapon: tell the kids!

Olivia's favorite word now is "dog-EE! dog-EE!" Doesn't matter if they're on the street, on the TV, on magazines, on socks, whatever. If it has a tail, ears, and walks on all fours, it is "dog-EE!" and it must be petted if at all possible. Even cats tend to get called "dog-EE!", albeit with less enthusiasm. She even tried to correct Ellen:

Olivia, pointing at Ajax, brightly: "Dog-EE!"

Ellen: "No, kitty."

Olivia, looking at mommy, in a very declarative tone: "Dog-EE!"

Ellen: "No, kitty!"

Olivia, now crossing her arms in a very recognizable "mommy needs help understanding" expression: "Dog-EE!" [thump-thump-thump on the cat, who doesn't seem to care as long as he gets petted.]

Dammit Mahmood, you were supposed to tell me how to avoid this sort of thing! :)

Posted by scott at 06:16 PM eMail this entry!
Sunfish Time

Fark linked up this nifty "photos and videos" site dedicated to the famous huge, flat, and very weird sunfish. I've seen these things in aquariums before, but never this big. I think I'm going to stick with swimming in pools. I can see what's in a pool.

Posted by scott at 02:17 PM eMail this entry!
December 27, 2004
Tsunami!

Check out the animation of the tsunami the Sumatra Earthquake formed.

Posted by Ellen at 04:48 PM eMail this entry!
Tanker Tales

No, really, it's just that good:

The best part of my day is hearing that [Abrams Tank] turbine engine wind up. The jet engine starts out deep and low. It builds up slowly as it whines higher and higher. If you listen closely, you can hear the rise of new low pitches, winding up at different points in the engine-start. The power pack gets to its peak screaming and then settles back down to a lower pitch. If you’re obsessed like me, you get the sensation that this 68-ton beast just stood up slowly and dramatically. Took a deep breath, mass rising and then settled into her armor, drinking 8 gallons of JP8 in 30 seconds just to wake up.

Since he's writing about stuff that happened a month ago, let's hope his COs don't come down on him like they did on Fear and Loathing.

Posted by scott at 10:03 AM eMail this entry!
December 22, 2004
Paging Ellen Ripley, White Courtesy Phone Please

Ok, I definitely gotta get me one of these:

The 26-year-old [Carlos] Owens is an Anchorage-area steelworker by day. In his own time, he's hoping to become the creator of a true "mecha"--not a robot, exactly, but a gigantic exoskeleton that can transform its wearer's motions into eight-foot strides and the devastating sweep of a steel fist.

By the one picture, it's already mostly built. Of course, putting something like this together is a completely different task from actually making it move. Props to the guy for his effort, but I'd wager even money we never hear about it again.

But if we do, I want tickets.

Posted by scott at 02:10 PM eMail this entry!
Pictures! Get Yer Fresh Space Pictures Here!

Space.com is carrying this retrospective of the best space photographs of the year. Definitely some winners in there. I like the Spider's Den best myself.

Posted by scott at 10:15 AM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2004
Bad Computer Icons!

My own mother gets an AMCGLTD No-Prize! for bringing us this little bit about what your computer icons do at night when you are sleeping.

Posted by Ellen at 06:32 PM eMail this entry!
Science Fiction in your Coffee Pot

Every day, in every way, we are turning more and more into the Jetsons:

Convenience is about to take on new meaning in the coffee aisle: single-serving coffee in a can that heats itself.

Beginning Jan. 2, consumers can buy a 10-ounce container of Wolfgang Puck gourmet latte at the store and heat it by pressing a button. No electricity. No batteries. No appliances.

Will Ron and Amber, our resident coffeeholics, who are known by name at every Starbucks in a ten mile radius of their house*, ever be the same?

----
* At last count, 456.

Posted by scott at 12:38 PM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2004
Tanker Tanker Burning Bright

Jason lead us to Armor Geddon, an excellent blog run by a tank commander over in Iraq:

SGT P told me all about the rehearsal yesterday that took the task force up to the attack position. They had reconned the site where they would stage for the attack and where we would breech into the city. "Oh my lord, Sir. You should have seen it. There were more vehicles than I have ever seen in my life. There were tanks, bradleys, humvees and PCs as far as you could see, stretched out across the desert. It was sick."

"Yeah well, I heard that yesterday was a reduced force rehearsal. Only the key leaders were out there with you. That was only 25% of the division task force for the assault."

"Sweet Jesus. This city has no idea what's about to hit it."

Good ol' fashion first-person accounts from an "old-school" type of soldier. Highly recommended.

Posted by scott at 12:17 PM eMail this entry!
December 16, 2004
Asimo 2.0

Slashdot linked up news of the next-generation Honda robot, Asimo. This time around it'll walk faster and better, actually run, and interact more naturally with people. I saw video of the first version, and it was really eerie to watch it walk. I kept expecting the head to come off and reveal someone inside.

Posted by scott at 09:11 AM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2004
Speed, in a Box

Ron gets a no-prize that stops as well as it goes for bringing us one of the fastest kit cars on the market today:

Driven by Ultima Director, Richard Marlow, the factory built Ultima GTR set a new world record time of 10.3 seconds to achieve 0-100mph-0 smashing the previous record by half a second. The British built super car stormed from 0-60mph in 2.8 secs and reached 100mph from standstill in an incredible 5.9 secs before coming back to rest a mere 4.4 secs later.

No, you can't carry groceries in it. That's what the minivan is for.

0-60 is 2.8 seconds. That will do... that will do nicely.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
December 14, 2004
When Hobbies Attack

Take a whole bunch of wood, a fully-equipped shop, and a guy with a lot of enthusiasm and more than a bit of knowledge and what do you get? How about a hand-built pipe organ? The guy doesn't even know how to play yet!

Something tells me he might be single. If not, he's got an amazingly tolerant wife.

Posted by scott at 09:56 AM eMail this entry!
December 13, 2004
Just Don't Throw a Penny off the Roof

Also from New Scientist, notice that contracts to construct the world's tallest building have been awarded. Nope, it's not the tower in New York, it's the Burj Dubai tower in, well, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (bordering Saudi Arabia). The thing will be not quite half a mile tall and host 160 floors serviced by a series of double-decker elevators. In construction, it sounds to be very similar to the Sears tower (a series of progressively taller, smaller buildings lashed together and supporting each other).

And yes, I know the penny story is a myth. Just wanted to make sure you were paying attention.

Posted by scott at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2004
An RV, for the Rest of Us

Ok, to all our camping/hiking buddies: we'll just be following behind you next time. Because Ellen and I think "roughing it" is a black and white TV.

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2004
Good Eats, Good Bikes

Fark linked up this nifty interview with our favorite Food Network personality, Alton Brown. Also includes notice about a new oven he helped GE with, called a Trivection, combining thermal, convection, and microwave heating all in a single unit (and, at a cool three grand each, something we'll be admiring from afar until the R&D gets paid off and they lower the price). Still, it's a damned nifty idea. Go read!

Posted by Ellen at 05:19 PM eMail this entry!
Like Hiroshima, but with Rice-a-Roni

Also from slashdot, this story of one man's innovative effort to make aerial photographs of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. He mounted a big camera to an array of large kites and was able to take images from about 2000 feet. The results were amazing, and give a (to me at least) never-before-seen perspective on a famous disaster. Great stuff for the shutterbugs in the gallery!

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
Supercar, Supercomputer

Slashdot linked up news of Team Petronas's latest acquisition:

Only nine months after the launch of its ultra-modern wind tunnel, the Sauber Petronas today presented a new supercomputer for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations to international media representatives at its headquarters in Hinwil. 'Albert', as the machine has been christened, is one of the most powerful in Formula One as well as the automotive industry as a whole. The supercomputer was built by the Swiss company Dalco and has a total of 530 AMD Opteron processors installed in High-Density Cooling Enclosures supplied by American Power Conversion (APC).

Sauber was one of the up-and-coming teams last year, always capable of surprises (as long as the car didn't come apart). However, now that Sauber and Ferrari have parted company, it's anyone's guess what they'll be like for the 2005 season. We'll see...

Posted by scott at 10:20 AM eMail this entry!
December 08, 2004
Transformers

More than meets the hip-hop eye.

No-Prize to Damion for the link!

Posted by Ellen at 07:38 PM eMail this entry!
Rice, for the Rest of Us

Bigwig just promised his daughter one of these when she turns 16. This trackback should help to serve notice I'll buy it from him used when she heads off to college.

Posted by scott at 01:11 PM eMail this entry!
December 07, 2004
~ It's [Thanksgiving] at Ground Zero ~

Jason gives us a first-hand account of what Thanksgiving was like in Iraq:

None of the posts had young Marines at them; Officers and Staff NCOs manned them all. The command decided that the young Marines were going to have the night off to get some good chow. It was unbelievable, and a wonderful site. The leadership took charge and took care of the younger Marines. This filled me with a pride indescribable with words.

Heartwarming in and of itself, but there's a sub-context. By 1969, things like this were not coming out of Vietnam. Quite the opposite. By 1970, the soldier reports were so negative even Nixon's machinations couldn't cover them up. So to hear that (in my opinion*) less than 6 months before we begin a serious pull out, the troops's morale is high is a very fine sign indeed.

----
* Hmm? What? Since when is a blogger not allowed to declare opinions without a shred of supporting evidence? Eh? Well, aside from the way we yanked the plug on the occupation authority when the transfer happened, there's this.

Posted by scott at 07:51 PM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2004
I Like It

Jeff gets a powerful no-prize for bringing us news of the latest in sniper weaponry, the Barrett XM-109 sniper rifle:

The centerpiece of the XM-109 system is the 25mm HEDP ammunition it fires. A scaled down derivative of the low velocity 30mm HEDP M789 ammunition fired by the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the MX-109's 25mm ammunition has been judged to be 2.5 times more effective at destroying targets than a .50 caliber armor-piercing round. It is expected that this ammunition can penetrate nearly 40mm (an inch and a half) of armor plating at 500 meters, or blast open doors from around the corner.

Basically, they're pitching this as a way to take out Haji and his merry henchmen in their Toyota Land Cruiser without taking the entire block down with them. It also could allow us to avoid using a $150,000 TOW missle to take out an $8,000 Hundai. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Well, as long as you're on the right end of the barrel at least. I wonder if they make a civillian version? God I love this country!

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2004
Somehow, "Mobile Suit Toyota" Just Doesn't Have the Same Ring

Slashdot linked up this Toyota exhibit featuring for-real "mobility suits". To a geek raised on Star Wars and anime, this screams "giant armed robot." These being corporate-minded Japanese, the actuality is more like "bar-of-soap-on-wheels."

I think it'd look much cooler with a rocket launcher.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
December 03, 2004
Now That's What I Call a Bath Toy

Problem: giant squid, being invertebrates, when put on display tend to resemble old pancake batter instead of super-fierce tentacled monstrosity.

Solution: Plastination

Now for the first time, two huge giant squid specimens are being prepared to go on display. And the preparation is being done by controversial German anatomist Gunther von Hagens, who will use the “plastination” technique that he uses to display human bodies.

33 foot long specimens no less. Unfortunately they'll be set up in New Zealand, so it'll be a little tough to go see the exhibit from here. Ah well, another reason to visit "down under".

No Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 02:30 PM eMail this entry!
Set the Wayback Machine to "Print"

Before mimeograph, before spirit printers, there was the Hectograph:

The hectograph or gelatin duplicator is a printing process which involves transferring from an original sheet prepared with special inks to a gelatin pad ... After the image is transferred to the inked gelatin surface, copies are made by pressing paper against it. When a pad had ceased to be useful, the ink could be sponged off the top of the gelatin and the pad re-used for the next master.

Featured here because some "old timers" on our board (which is meeting today) started talking about "gelatin printing", and I'd never heard of it. Wanted to see if this would jog some memories amongst the three or four over-the-hill readers we have on here. :)

Posted by scott at 11:37 AM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2004
Bad Kitty!

The only thing that keeps Ellen and/or Amber from going to work in something like this is a) it's hand-made and b) they couldn't see to drive in it. Nifty craftsmanship though.

No, Ellen, you can't have one.

Posted by scott at 03:54 PM eMail this entry!
Your Very Own Place to Eat Ham and Jam and Spamalot

Fark linked up CastleMagic, a firm that will (for a price) design and even build your very own castle, right down to a moat and drawbridge. Ya know, mom's looking to get a new house...

Posted by scott at 01:24 PM eMail this entry!
December 01, 2004
At Least You Can See What Caused that Conjestion

There's blocking lanes, and then there's blocking lanes:

A huge military transport plane was stuck on a runway above an interstate highway for more than 16 hours Thursday when it was unable to turn around after landing and had to wait to be towed.

Includes a most cool picture. I wonder if it beeps when it backs up?

Update: According to Daffodil it actually happened early last year.

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2004
Beavis and Butthead in Lab Coats

Ron gets a no-prize that giggles inanely at the touch of a button for bringing us news of the coolest science exhibit. Ever:

Flatulence, faeces, urination ... and all that's disgusting, sticky and foul-smelling about the human body and how it functions makes for an unusual but educational new Paris exhibition aimed at children.

The funniest part is if you put a (future) 7-year old Olivia, and a grown-up Ellen, Joshua, and Ron through this exhibit, I'm not completely sure who would be laughing the hardest. I can tell you who would be groaning and going "Oh! Oh! No! Not that! Stop touching that!"

Yup, with the exception of the lil' monster, it'd be their spouses.

Posted by scott at 06:33 PM eMail this entry!
November 29, 2004
I Call it "Bannination"

Valve is striking a blow for all us schlubs who actually pay money for our computer games by using tracking tricks to ban and disable people who've stolen or hacked Half-Life 2. More power to 'em, I say. One of the main reasons game quality is spotty and game prices are high is because of twerps like this. Why go to the effort when half the people playing never paid? Plus it helps hold down the cheating, which just destroys the on-line experience.

So, on behalf of all the folks who've made our purchase: Quit yer bitchin', get off your lazy butts, and buy the damned game. Thank you.

Posted by scott at 10:36 AM eMail this entry!
November 25, 2004
She's Here! She's... rrm... Pagan! Get Used to it! Or Else!

Think wiccans are all a bunch of peace n' love n' dancing hippy-types who need a haircut and a flea dip? Think they're all a bunch of silly people with a fetish for black and crystals? Think again.

Wow. A pro-gun right-wing pagan with an assault rifle. America rocks!

Robert H. gets a no-nonsense no-prize for bringing us this evidence that the Weatherwax tradition of witchcraft is alive and well.

Posted by scott at 07:17 AM eMail this entry!
November 24, 2004
Sign the Check to "My Brother, of Godlike Intelligence"

Hey Jeff, you now officially owe me a dollar:

The rumors reported earlier at /. are confirmed. The latest offerings in the Pentium 4 family now support AMD's x86-64 architecture, even though Intel is not willing to admit it very openly, by using cryptic names like EM64T and (gasp) IA-32e.

Yeah, he'll try to squirt away in a cloud of ink consisting mainly of "anyone who'd vote for Bush..." Which is all well and good, and probably true, but the hard fact is the ones to whom he was willingly assimilated have now themselves been assimilated, and that cube bears the legend AMD

Now to spend my hard-earned dollar...

Posted by scott at 06:06 PM eMail this entry!
Your Stick-Fu is Strong!

Stick fight 10 is out. That is all. Woot!

Posted by scott at 01:22 PM eMail this entry!
Set Speculation = Idle; Set Thinking = Wishful;

Motor Trend published this bit of fluff speculating what, exactly, it would take to get Alfa Romeo back over here and what a new spider ("spyder" in the article... gotta love copy editors) might look like. Their "conventional wisdom", such as it is, is leaning toward GM's new low-cost Kappa platform, on which the upcoming Pontiac Solstice will be based on.

The Alfisti are (predictably) wailing and rending their shirts over having the possibility of GM putting a hand down their "amore's" pants (all the while ignoring the current double-cup hold Fiat has on her chest). Which is crap. I firmly believe both Ford and GM are quite capable of creating excellent cars, and the whole Kappa concept is quite nifty indeed.

Personally I'd be thrilled to see a low-cost RWD spider based on this platform with, say, Alfa's 2L twinspark or (even better, if it can fit) their 3.2L V6. An engine is more than half the character of a car like this, and there isn't an auto aficianado in the world that would deny the excellence of Alfa's motors.

But will we see one here? Nah, not until all the regs get straightened out and car companies are able to cross-certify their vehicles with just one test. Then we'll be back to the 50s, when all you had to do to import a car was buy it and put it on a boat. *grin*

Posted by scott at 10:20 AM eMail this entry!
The Grapes of [Plasma] Wrath

CaptainHowdy gets an explosive purple no-prize for bringing us detailed instructions for creating microwave grape plasma. No, really!

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2004
Pixie Pocket Change

Joshua gets his second no-prize of the day for bringing us Bert's Quarter Shrinking and Can Crushing Gallery. Anything that involves the explosive discharge of thousands of volts, hundreds of thousands of amps, and kilo-joules of energy, all in the quest to produce a quarter smaller than a dime, is fine by me. Bang!

Posted by scott at 03:18 PM eMail this entry!
Free Speech = Free Porn?

Well now, maybe I should start paying a lot more attention to our cable access channels:

Full-on boffing. That's what Bonnie Valentine found while channel-surfing late one night. Vigorous thrusting, melodramatic moaning, the works.

"What I saw was intercourse," the Akron resident says. "This is beyond obscene. This had crossed into pornography."

It wasn't Cinemax that Valentine happened upon that night in September. It was Channel 15, Time Warner Cable's public access station for the Akron-Canton region.

All the result of extensive (and victorious) free speech lawsuits. So tell me again about that fascist police state we've been living in for the past four years?

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
November 22, 2004
~ Like a Bridge Over Troubled Fishtanks ~

For the aquarist with eveything, we have the Fish Highway. Yes, you too can have interconnected fish tanks connected hamster-cage-like with plexiglass tunnels.

No, Ellen, you can't have one.

Via Silflay.

Posted by scott at 11:50 AM eMail this entry!
November 19, 2004
Told You Those Bastards were Smart!

How Stuff Works is carrying this nifty article that takes a back-stage look into just how Halo-2's AI works. As with all good designs, from some simple rules much sophistication can be created.

Posted by scott at 03:11 PM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2004
Speaking of Importing Cars

Of course, all the DOT and EPA crap happens because each country has their own set of regulations and specifications. Since it's widely agreed that cars in places like Europe, Japan, Canada, and the US are all "equal but different" regarding safety and emissions, wouldn't it be a good idea to synchronize all these different requirements into a common set? Actually, yes it would.

The article takes the standard non-car-guy slant of "cars are fast, speed kills, let's make it all safer", but actually this is being pushed by a far more basic requirement... economics. The auto business is running on razor-thin margins, with almost all car companies worldwide either getting into or recovering from a major financial crisis. It's amazingly expensive to design cars to meet completely different sets of standards from country to country, so harmonizing the rules would represent a major cost savings.

Plus it would allow, for example, some loon in Virginia to buy his own damned Alfa Romeo in Milan and ship it here without a huge and expensive hassle. But we won't tell them about that. :)

Posted by scott at 09:53 AM eMail this entry!
November 16, 2004
When Customizers Attack

Ron gets a very loud no-prize for bringing us the most extreme hi-fi car conversion we've ever seen. I'm not even sure where you're supposed to sit in that thing. Of course, since you could probably suck the doors off nearby cars with it, I'm not sure you'd want to.

Posted by scott at 01:58 PM eMail this entry!
My Next TV

Why have a TV as big as your wall when you can have one as big as your house? With a scoreboard no less. Now if I can just figure out how to talk my neighbors into letting me mount it...

Posted by scott at 10:11 AM eMail this entry!
Robo-Bug

Fark linked up this News.com.au story that details the invention of a robotic roach. By mimicking the way roaches move, act, and smell, researchers have created a device (about the size of a matchbox) that roaches actually accept as one of their own. The idea is this Quizling faux-roach will then lead them all into the light for spraying or stomping.

As one who lived in "Joe's Apartment" for a couple of years, I say more power to them. The cost will probably mean they'll be employed by exterminators or building owners instead of bought at the grocery store by tenants. But as long as the crawlies are gone, I don't care.

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2004
F-1 Update

Team Jaguar, which had been ignominiously cut loose by parent company Ford, seems to have been picked up by Red Bull. While this article details current speculation on who will be driving for the team next year, one thing is not mentioned: Red Bull has been running a US driver search for promising American open-wheel racers. Now that RB own their own F-1 team, it would at least seem far more likely we'll eventually see the ol' stars-and-stripes lifted over a Grand Prix race track.

Posted by scott at 03:05 PM eMail this entry!
Whoosh!

James F. gets a skyrocketing no-prize for bringing us this collection of nifty model rocket flights. Also included, at the very bottom, is a rather silly (but no less amusing) commercial clip involving a CO2 canister and a barrel of oranges. No, really!

Posted by scott at 08:22 AM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2004
Zap!

Fark linked up news of progress in the airborne laser project. In a nutshell: Boeing is trying to stuff a laser powerful enough to fry an ICBM into an airplane and, well, fry an ICBM with it. And when I say stuff, I do mean stuff. AvWeek has been following this thing for a couple of years now, and the biggest problem they're currently facing is weight. There's apparently a very real chance the laser, plus its assorted equipment and crew, will exceed the max takeoff weight of its carrier. This is with a 747, mind you. It's also not a solid-state laser, instead using all sorts of exotic chemicals in large amounts to generate the beam. Meaning, it requires ammo.

Also according to AvWeek, the second most pressing problem with the project is funding. As I recall, Congress tried to zero the whole thing out last year, and may try it again, because of cost overruns and the fact that Boeing is persona-non-grata on the hill right now. They've been caught twice with competitor's "top secret" plans in their pockets, and the top-ranking Air Force procurement officer had to resign last year over "irregularities" regarding an attempt to lease 757s as fuel tankers.

So, while nifty, this thing is actually further from flying than even the MSNBC article indicates. Still, it's a frikken laser, as big as my house! If the project gets cancelled, I want it.

Posted by scott at 09:34 AM eMail this entry!
November 12, 2004
Set Picture = 1000 words
Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
We Can Rebuild Him. We Have the Technology. And the Mackerel.

James H. gets a high-performance no-prize for bringing us news of one of the coolest submarines ever:

The machine is capable of performing the same tricks as living dolphins, including dives, barrel rolls, jumping in and out of water and "porpoising". It can even roll to one side and wave a flipper.

With a top surface speed of almost 50km/h and an underwater speed of 32km/h, the dolphin is made of fibreglass and Kevlar and is fitted with a watertight F-16 fighter jet canopy.

To which I thought to myself, "yeah, right." Except there's a picture of the thing with the article. What a nifty way to get yourself killed!

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
November 10, 2004
Extreme Makeover, Primate Edition

Did I mention how glad I am Ellen went into small animal medicine? Why am I grateful? Because otherwise Maggie would've ended up at our house:

When Maggie [the orangutan] arrived at Brookfield in 1995 from the Milwaukee Zoo, she was a big, fat mess.

Tipping the scales at an obese 200 pounds, she was lazy, snored terribly, had an awful case of gas and was constipated.
...
Maggie's real problem was confirmed: a hyperthyroid condition.
...
Tuesday, the zoo showed off the "new'' Maggie. Though her before-and-after pix may not reveal a difference, she is 90 pounds lighter, with a complexion perfect for an orangutan: dark and oily. Her reddish hair is now soft and shiny. She's sleeping more soundly and -- with that snoring and flatulence problem under control -- more quietly.

Ellen has to deal with hyperthyroid cats all the time, talks about it constantly. Never knew it could happen to bigger critters.

Ook!

Posted by scott at 02:46 PM eMail this entry!
Zoom Zoom, Dear Chap

Jeff & Cindy get a ridiculously fast and expensive no-prize for bringing us news that both the British and French Grand Prix are back on the 2005 F-1 schedule. It's not a done done deal (nothing in F-1 ever really is), but it's a far cry from being cancelled outright.

Posted by scott at 12:47 PM eMail this entry!
A Plan, for the Rest of Us

"AMCGLTD," we hear you ask, "my attempts at world domination have all failed. That German was too loony, the Japanese were too grandiose, the Russians kept getting drunk, I can't even find that Saudi, and don't even get me started about Micheal Moore. Hell with this. I don't want to conquer the world anymore, I just want to blow it up. But where to start? What am I to do? Help!"

Fear not, friendly evil-doer! AMCGLTD is here to help! Presenting How to Destroy the Earth, your one-stop shop for every plan, scheme, and design to turn everyone's favorite blue marble into subatomic particles. You'll find it all here, from black holes to antimatter to vacuum energy (oh my!), all conveniently organized according to probability of success! Don't delay! You could be the person who finally ends history! Hey, it beats moving to Canada! Act now!

Posted by scott at 10:42 AM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2004
Must... Move... Letters...

Capt. Howdy gets an annoying yet strangely addictive no-prize for bringing us Just Letters. I couldn't get it to even spell "hello". Well, not for long anyway.

Posted by scott at 06:15 PM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2004
Puts a Whole New Spin on "Home Grown"

I think I found Joshua's next bike. God knows how much it costs.

Yes, Virginia, that's a bamboo frame. Sad thing is, considering the spanking I got last week from a guy with a steel bike and exactly two gears, my wookie friend would probably disappear over the horizon rather quickly on this thing. It sure does suck getting old, it does.

Posted by scott at 08:47 PM eMail this entry!
Yea, it was Delivered, and Verily, it was Good

Slashdot linked up three reviews of Halo 2, and the consensus seems to be "A+". One guy didn't like the campaign very much, but the other two liked it a lot, so I can't help but think maybe the first one ran it through on the wrong difficulty level. Lord knows my appreciation for level design became a lot greater when I just sucked it up and started choosing the "hardest/demon/god-fearing/wtf??" difficulty settings on shooters. Anyone who plays more than three of these things a year should probably do the same.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
November 06, 2004
Insert Rick Okasic Joke Here

Slashdot yesterday, and now Fark today*, linked up this sneak preview trailer for the very last Dinsey-Pixar film, Cars. All I can say is, we have to wait a whole year for this?!? [Whoosh-crack!] You! Over there by the computer! Animate faster!

------
* So why link it? Well, they usually link our stuff a day or two later, figured we'd throw 'em a bone**.

** Delusions of grandeur? What are those?

Posted by scott at 01:57 PM eMail this entry!
November 05, 2004
Haveatyou!

Ron gets a springy no-prize for bringing us instructions on how to make a sword, cheap. In a nutshell: get a leaf spring, pound the crap out of it until it's straight, then grind on it for a few days. Presto! A sword blade made of the finest industrial steel, formulated specifically for hard, flexible work.

I happen to know of a certain brother who has a car with leaf springs that's not doing much at the moment... now, to get a grinder...

Update: Actually, the entire site is pretty nifty, in an "SCA-armor-made-out-of-road-signs" sort of way.

Posted by scott at 08:17 AM eMail this entry!
November 04, 2004
Don't Look at Me, I Can Barely Wrap a Present

There's origami, and then there's origami.

I dunno man, those patterns look nearly as artsy as the product. I used to be able to fold up a paper rocket, but it's been so long I'm not sure I remember how. Don't even ask about the present wrapping skills. It's pretty ugly.

Via Reflections in D Minor

Posted by scott at 03:57 PM eMail this entry!
BOOM!

Cool only because nobody's gotten hurt... Europe proves, when it comes to volcanoes at least, they've got it all over us:

A spectacular volcanic eruption under an Iceland glacier has forced airlines to divert flights to avoid flying through gas emissions from the blast.

Hope you weren't planning on visiting Iceland for vacation any time soon.

Posted by scott at 01:08 PM eMail this entry!
November 03, 2004
~ Cheaper Days, are Here Again ~

Well this sounds pretty nifty:

Oil futures prices fell Wednesday after an American government report showed U.S. supplies of crude rising sharply, allowing traders to shrug off the fact that inventories of heating oil are still tight.

Markets work on their own logic, in their own time.

Moonbat conspiracies regarding a certain coincidence in 3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 03:53 PM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2004
But Did He Name it, "AAaaggg..."?

Fark linked up this nice story about a dad's effort to help local kids while they're waiting on the school bus. Since the shelter that was there when they moved into their house was falling down, he decided to rebuild it as a castle. Not surprisingly, within three months some naked chimps came along and burned it down. Fortunately, this didn't stop the guy, he just rebuilt it (hopefully this time with stone).

And yes, they're SCA/gamers. See! Nerds can be cool too!

Posted by scott at 09:31 AM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2004
Protect That Dog Noggin!

Brought to you by Liz.

This is a must buy for the motocycle slut of a wiemereiner in your life. :)

Posted by Ellen at 08:57 PM eMail this entry!
October 28, 2004
And to Think We Knew Him When...

Laurence Simon has the dubious distinction of being the first blogger to be recognized by one of the big boys without them actually mentioning his site by name:

Some participants take Friday catblogging very seriously. Laurence Simon, a 35-year-old Houston technical support engineer, decided a while back that with so many people catblogging, it would be good to have a weekly compendium of the best of each week's entries.
...
For a while, Mr. Simon was the host of Carnival of the Cats, but he decided to pass along the honor. Now, a different person handles the Carnival of the Cats each Sunday, compiling a healthy group of Friday postings for that groggy Monday morning audience.

Well considering the paper itself is so full of crap it fairly sloshes when you hold it, it's not that much of a surprise they wouldn't mention a website with that same name. But they did mention the Carnival's main site, so it's not too damned difficult figuring out who's in charge.

Congratulations!

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2004
Think of an Electronic Fish. Now Wrap it in an Electronic Newspaper

Fark linked up this LA Times story detailing a nifty effort to disassemble the latest in a long line of protection schemes:

Rather than brass knuckles and baseball bats, the weapons of choice for these digital extortionists are thousands of computers. They use them to launch coordinated attacks that knock targeted websites off-line for days, or even weeks, at a time.

The shakedowns generate millions of dollars. Many Internet operators would rather pay protection money than risk even greater losses if their websites go down.

Reminds me a lot of how Clifford Stoll helped break a hacking ring back in the 80s.

Posted by scott at 08:54 AM eMail this entry!
October 26, 2004
Big Iron

Slashdot noted Cray has announced it's newest supercomputer, the XT3. If you want to see what a real computer looks like, head on over there. I'm not sure if there are any applications available for it. I think the people who buy these things always roll their own.

Posted by scott at 09:50 AM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2004
Fish or Drink Bait

Fark linked up this rather interesting recycling project:

Norm Price is on a crusade that has two goals: Help fellow anglers catch more fish, and recycle millions of discarded beer bottle caps.

Price is the Canadian inventor of the bottle-cap lure, a beer bottle cap pinched together with tiny ball bearings inside, and a hook attached to one end. The rattle of the lure's steel bearings, and its shiny, colorful finish, can cause an unsuspecting lunker to strike faster than an angry Teamster, he said.

6 for $35 no less. See, recycling is easy if you can make a buck on it. He does sound a little quirky otherwise, but hey, what fisherman doesn't have character?

Posted by scott at 09:08 AM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2004
Sometimes I Sits and Thinks

And sometimes I just sits:

German archeologists say they have discovered the toilet on which Martin Luther wrote the 95 Theses that launched the Protestant Reformation.

Luther was also famous for confronting and defeating demons while on said stonework commode. So not only is it a place where literary history was, well, "made", but it has shades (stains?) of mysticism as well. History, Toilet humor, and Halloween parallels. Could there be a more perfect story for this site?

Posted by scott at 08:53 AM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2004
New Gallery Opening

Jeff gets a freshly dusted no-prize for bringing us news that a new gallery is opening at the Air & Space annex. Guess where I'll be week-after-next.

Posted by scott at 11:57 AM eMail this entry!
October 21, 2004
Wild on Film

The gallery's resident shutterbug Joshua will probably get a kick out of the winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. Those of us who don't know an f-stop from a focal length will still ooh over the pretty pictures. I just wish they had some higher-res examples.

Posted by scott at 01:18 PM eMail this entry!
October 20, 2004
Stephenson Speaks

Well, writes anyway, answering a dozen questions in this Slashdot interview. Yes, the author of Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash is just as long-winded in his replies as he is in his novels, but the answers are still interesting. Yet another one of my "authors who don't write fast enough".

Posted by scott at 03:59 PM eMail this entry!
The Power Principle

I guess it really is true... if you put a big enough engine in it, even a lawnmower will fly (note: video link, completely SFW).

I'm deeply interested in exactly how it is flying. I can't help but think the handle must be the airfoil, but I don't see any control surfaces. Guess that means I have to build one...

Posted by scott at 12:59 PM eMail this entry!
October 19, 2004
Mark Your (Videogame) Calendars

Half-Life 2 has officially gone gold:

Days after last week's Rumor Control brought news that Half-Life 2 had gone gold and was being sent off to Vivendi Universal for approval and manufacturing, the publisher confirmed that the game has gone gold and announced, finally, its release date: November 16.

I got this one as part of my new computer upgrades last spring. Of course, I'll have to wait a week or two for the crush to pass by, but that's OK. Halo 2 will be out around that time and that'll keep me plenty busy.

Posted by scott at 03:19 PM eMail this entry!
Cogito Ergo Zoom, Arab Style (Comrade)

Looks like F-1 is getting a couple of new teams, from rather unexpected regions:

Formula One could see a new team racing in 2006 after plans for the launch of Team Dubai F1 were announced.
...
Earlier this month the Russian-backed Midland team announced it intended to join the Formula One grid in 2006.

Diversity is good, especially in the inbred ranks of F-1, but I have a feeling these guys have no idea what they've gotten themselves into. It ain't called a circus for nothing.

Posted by scott at 01:58 PM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2004
But Does it Have a Wing?

Fark linked up this nifty story about a kid who can now control a sophisticated wheel chair using a special controller he'd had rigged up so he could use his Playstation:

Sam Mansel has athetoid cerebral palsy which means control of his arms, hands and legs is disrupted by spontaneous and unwanted violent movement.

For several years the 17-year-old from Milford Haven used switches controlled by his chin to master computer games.

So when experts developed a new chair to give him more independence, they built it using the same technology.

See! See! It's not always wasted time!

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2004
~ I'll Be Scootin' Along / On My Seg-way ~

Slashdot linked up this NY Times article that details an innovative new use for the Segway scooter:

Several hundred people nationwide are using Segways to cope with disabilities like scoliosis and arthritis and even missing limbs, according to a group called Disability Rights Advocates for Technology, or Draft, which is promoting such use.

My mom is only slightly better balanced than my daughter (who recently wobbled over into the grass as she tried to track a helicopter as it went by), so this thing would at first seem just a really expensive way to fall over. But:

For some, the Segway is more comfortable than a wheelchair, and it helps those with balance problems stay upright.

"It's just this incredible feeling for those that cannot balance and when they stand up they feel like they're in the midst of falling all the time," said Jerry Kerr of St. Louis, a Segway rider with a spinal cord injury that left him unable to walk, though he can stand to operate the scooter.

Thankfully, Segway's sudden popularity with the disabled is not because of a tax loophole... since it's not classified as a medical device, insurance and medicaid/medicare won't cover it. For now, anyway.

But hey, if it helps you get around and you're paying for it out of your own pocket, more power to you!

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2004
X-box Gadget

Those of you who think shooters should be played using only a keyboard and a mouse as God and Carmack intended might be interested in the SmartJoy FRAG. In theory, it lets you connect the proper controllers to your console so you can blast away with accuracy.

I wasn't bothered that much by the hand controllers once I got used to them. Of course, Jeff would say that's because my marksmanship can't get much worse, but all he ever plays is Civ II (1999) and Panzer General II (1997). Whaddaheknow?

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
Wordy Wonders

Quit messing around on the computer and go improve yourself by learning some of the new words recently added to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary.

As I recall, the Unabridged edition is something like 20 volumes and costs ~ $1500. There's vocabulary, and then there's vocabulary.

Posted by scott at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
October 13, 2004
Halo Update

One of the things that lifted Halo from "really good" to "superb" was the soundtrack. As with Homeworld (one of the top three games I've ever played), it makes a huge difference in how you perceive the game. Thanks to Cobb, we can now get a sneak preview of what Halo 2's soundtrack is going to be like. As with the game itself, it's looking to be damned fine indeed.

Posted by scott at 02:21 PM eMail this entry!
October 12, 2004
And the Jet Engine Goes, "SCREEEEEE"

Remeber last week when I wondered just how this thing's jet engine actually worked? I think I found the answer:

The Gluhareff Pressure Jet engine is a remarkably simple device made of thin-wall stainless steel tubing and sheet metal. Inside, it contains only a length of coiled steel tubing (the fuel line), which gasifies and super-heats the incoming liquid propane before it is injected at supersonic speed at the top of the intake stack. The engine has no moving parts, yet it is fully throttleable.

Upgrade this one to "definitely gotta get me one of these." Can Damion's rocket powered Honda be far behind?

Posted by scott at 02:06 PM eMail this entry!
October 11, 2004
The Clock is Running

Halo 2 has officially gone gold:

They said it couldn't be done! Actually, they didn't say that, but if they had, we'd have proved them all (the fake people who didn't say anything) wrong! Halo 2 has gone gold. We finished every line of code, every pixel of art, every frame of animation, every phoneme of dialog and every note of music. We finished it when we said we would (when it was done) and shipped that baby right on time to make its November launch date. And we're kinda proud of it. We think it's "fun."

Now that I have my very own console-game-disruptor (she's cute, but to her wires are things to pull out and then chew on, which does not a successful frag-fest make... and I'm not even going to tell you what Olivia does to the thing), I'm gonna have to figure out how to rig a TV downstairs so I can practice up on this thing. Damion, the "king of the video game geeks" in my peer group, has already admitted he won't be able to play the thing for at least two days after it shows up in stores. Which is two days I'll get, if I can get said rig set up down stairs.

What is this thing you call, "a life", and why do I want to get one?

Posted by scott at 07:12 PM eMail this entry!
Mandelbrot Art

Tatterdemalian gets an infinitely regressed no-prize for bringing us Zoom, a bit of artistic whimsy made possible by technology. When I held the key down I actually got a little dizzy.

Posted by scott at 09:53 AM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2004
Massage Therapy

But honey, I'm doing this for your health:

Massaging a woman's breasts helps her avoid cancer, a study shows.

A gentle rub boosts the flow of vital toxins, compensating for the restricting effect of bras.

Somehow I don't think this'll be enough to let me help other women.

Posted by scott at 12:12 PM eMail this entry!
Crash-Bang-Moon

Fark called it "best picture of the month", and I can't say I disagree. Our sight-lines aren't good enough to do this sort of thing anymore, but when we lived in a high-rise you could see storms coming from miles away.

Posted by scott at 08:59 AM eMail this entry!
October 07, 2004
Ooey Gooey Mmmm

Remember those goofy recipies on the sides and backs of cereal boxes? Well, Fark linked up an article by someone who followed one of them, and who seems quite pleased with the result. Expect pictures of Olivia covered in Apple Jack-Chocolate-Banana goo soon.

Posted by scott at 01:29 PM eMail this entry!
"Punting" for Fun and Profit

Jeff gets a very large caliber no-prize mounted in a boat for discovering punt cannons, the boats in which they were used (scroll down until you see "ducks in a barrel"), and the practice of "Market Hunting", for which they were developed.

Meant to take out entire flocks of ducks at a time, these gargantuan shotguns have been illegal to use in their primary purpose since the 1920s. Jeff says he's seen a video of one of these monsters being fired, and that the recoil destroyed a wall of sandbags meant to brace the thing. Considering it's effectively a four gauge shotgun (essentially a 40 mm cannon firing shot rounds), I don't doubt it.

Posted by scott at 11:49 AM eMail this entry!
October 06, 2004
Damned Things are Showing Up Everywhere

Got nothing else to do with your X-box? You could always install Mac OSX on it. No, really!

Posted by scott at 12:43 PM eMail this entry!
Insert "Men and Boys" Joke Here

Fark linked up what may be the world's fastest shopping cart:

Wacky Andy Tyler sits in a 50mph shopping cart after fitting a JET ENGINE

With several pictures!

The thing is, I don't see a pump or turbine in it anywhere. Looks like he's burning propane, so fuel pressure won't be a problem. Still, can't quite see how it pushes forward.

Guess that means I'll have to build one.

Posted by scott at 08:19 AM eMail this entry!
October 05, 2004
Open Source Terror

Linux users will be happy to hear Doom3 for Linux is finally out. Well, unless your system has an ATI card, in which case you're stuck waiting on drivers. Maybe this'll kick ATI in the butt and get them finished.

Haven't booted the old home box into linux for awhile, maybe I will now.

Posted by scott at 01:44 PM eMail this entry!
October 04, 2004
Yet More Music I Can't Sing Along To

Ellen will probably be interested in Mahmood's recently recommended music choice, and I suppose so will most everyone else into "international" music. The snippet he linked sounds a lot like the other stuff she has, at any rate. More belly dance music!

Posted by scott at 03:38 PM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2004
Pedal Party

Bicycle built for one? What a waste. Bicycle built for two? Wimps. How about a quad-cycle built for seven?

I'd have no problem with it, as long as Ellen didn't drive. Oh she won't run into stuff or anything like that. It's just she's got this, well, [whisper]road rage problem[/whisper]. It got so bad on the toll road I decided it was safer for everyone involved if I drove both ways and gave her a nice book to read. I'd fear for the other cyclists and especially the rollerbladers. At least the people on our morning commute have sheetmetal to protect them from her wrath.

Posted by scott at 09:30 AM eMail this entry!
September 30, 2004
That's Mister Alfa Romeo to you, Bub

Read 'em and weep... 10.2 @ 128.

A 164Q is normally a mid-14s sorta vehicle. Lord only knows what he did to it to knock four full seconds off his ET. Alfas aren't normally 1400-feet-and-out. They like to turn and brake and go round and round. Still, as our friend Vader would say, "impressive... most impressive..."

Posted by scott at 06:52 PM eMail this entry!
Lost & Found

Missing for five centuries, a stolen page from a landmark book has been found:

The illuminated page depicting the occupations of the month of October comes from the Sforza Book of Hours, one of the most lavish books of the Italian Renaissance and a treasured item in the [British] national library's collection.

While historians understandably study the content of books, I wish someone would write a history of some books. Before printing came along, many of our most important works of literature, history, and science existed in only a handful of copies, sometimes only one. How Tacitus's Annals came to us (to pick just one example) is, for me, at least as interesting as what it says.

Posted by scott at 03:01 PM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2004
Zoom!

Fark linked up news of what will probably be the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world:

A thrill ride that accelerates to 128 mph in 3.5 seconds and rises 456 feet off the ground.

In New Jersey no less, so it's definitely in range. Road trip time!

Posted by scott at 02:40 PM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2004
As Long as it Also has a Listing for Cab Companies

"AMCGLTD," we hear you ask, "I'm tired of going to a new beach bar, asking for a 'Captain Clutch' and being looked at like I've grown a second head. What am I to do?"

Fear not, fellow lush! AMCGLTD is here to help! Presenting the Mobatech Mobile Bartender:

With Mobile Bartender in your cell phone, you'll be armed with impressive knowledge of cocktails, shots and drop shots at the touch of button.

This full-featured bartender guide includes over 150 recipes that can be filtered by drink type, liquor or the first letter of a drink name. Shots can also be chosen by category with users being able to view the ingredients for Candy Shooters, Sexy Shooters, Fruity Shooters or Deadly Sins.

Act now and never worry about being without your favorite brain scrambler again!

Posted by scott at 02:56 PM eMail this entry!
Unreality

Fark linked up this site that makes an attempt to turn some of M.C. Escher's most famous drawings into 3-D models. Not surprisingly, in order to "work" the models rely as much on forced perspective as they do any sort of special shape.

Posted by scott at 12:10 PM eMail this entry!
September 27, 2004
Rolling Artwork

Ron gets a very red, very fast no-prize for bringing us some nice pictures of the latest Ferrari supercar:

A natural evolution of the brilliant 360 Modena, the 4.3-liter Pininfarina styled F430 ups the ante in the power race, with 490 horsepower pushing this exotic machine to a top speed "in excess of 196 mph" and 0-62 mph in exactly four seconds. It features competition-developed flat-floor aerodynamics, carbon-ceramic brakes, and new levels of aluminium technology.

Much prettier than the Enzo, and probably nearly as fast. Costs as much as my house, but hey, you gotta have priorities here.

Posted by scott at 12:59 PM eMail this entry!
Wood Walkers

Wood + art + engineering + wind = well, this. Can't really describe them, but they're freaktastically cool. Don't miss the videos, they're just weird looking until you watch them move.

Posted by scott at 11:11 AM eMail this entry!
Tricky!

Welcome to The Tricks of the Trade, where you'll find quick tips for just about everything. Nina will probably find this one either old hat or interesting:

When mixing a record, a band member will often insist that a track could be improved if you make their instrument or vocals louder relative to everyone else. To please this person while not screwing up the sound, twiddle some knobs and then turn up the overall volume. Since the person making the demand will be focusing on their own part, and their own part will now be louder (along with everything else), they will usually think you've fulfilled their request.

I guess you could also call it Headology 101.

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
September 26, 2004
... and Knowing is Half the Battle

Behold the power of Wikipedia, wherein it can even be discovered how bra sizes actually work:

The size of breasts is often expressed in terms of the size of the bra. This is measured as follows: Two measurements are taken, the first is a circumference of the body with the tape being placed under the breasts. This provides the "band size." The second measurement is similar, but includes the breasts. The first result is then subtracted from the second. A difference of 1 inch requires an A cup size; 2 inches, a B cup; 3 inches, a C cup; and 4 inches, a D cup. Therefore, a woman who has a band size of 36 inches, and a measurement over her breasts of 39 inches, would be best served by a bra size of 36C.

Part of me is going "ummm... eh?", but the other part is going "heheheheheheheheh... you said cup... hehehehehehehe."

Posted by scott at 08:03 PM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2004
Oh Shibbit!

Anyone feel like hitting the tip jar for, oh, I dunno, $595,000?

We are pleased to offer 1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 Autodelta team car s/n 75033*022. This car has a well documented history as an Autodelta team car with races at Le Mans, Monza, the Nürburgring, Brands Hatch, Mugello, The Targa Florio and multiple other races ... at $595,000 needing only the new owner to inspect his car and chose his colors!

See! See! All I'd need to do would be to pick the color! Pick the freaking color!

Anyone? ... Anyone? ... Beuhler???

Bastards.

Posted by scott at 08:25 PM eMail this entry!
Feeling... Woozy...

This appears to be a pic of Ivan taken from the ISS. The snopes set will have to check for sure, I got a meeting coming up. If it is, it's pretty nifty.

Posted by scott at 01:09 PM eMail this entry!
Smart Car

Fark linked up this summary article of the latest computer development for production cars... the inclusion of neural network systems in engine management. It seems "normal" management computers couldn't handle the speed at which Ford's super-fancy Aston Martin DB9 generated events with its high-rpm V12. However, neural networks take a completely different tack on the problem, analyzing the overall data stream for exceptional patterns, and dealing with those as they happen. While development costs were surely impressive (which is why it's premiering on a high-dollar car), production costs apparently are only about $5 per vehicle. Ford expects this tech to rapidly make its way down into "normal" production vehicles, making them all more efficient and longer-lasting.

Posted by scott at 08:32 AM eMail this entry!
September 23, 2004
Whoa

Capt. Howdy gets a big blue no-prize for bringing us this nifty video that demostrates just what "big surfing" really means. No, it's not Ivan, probably somewhere around Hawaii. But still...

Posted by scott at 10:55 AM eMail this entry!
September 20, 2004
Halo News

Yeah, still November, but in the meantime you can take a look at this very detailed preview of a beta build. Goes over the multiplayer bits quite nicely.

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
September 19, 2004
Must. See. Movie.

Ok, well, I might have gotten used to some of you (SOME of you) not having your VCRs/Tivos set for the new Farscape mini. But by God, if you don't mark 11-5-04 on your calendars you're just not part of my world.

Unless you're mom, who hates all animation. But she goes out in public with two different shoes on, so I guess it all evens out.

Posted by scott at 07:18 PM eMail this entry!
Lost & Found

Sometimes the stuff you find in the ocean you don't want to keep:

Government experts are investigating a claim that an unarmed nuclear bomb, lost off the Georgia coast at the height of the Cold War, might have been found, an Air Force spokesman said Monday.

The thing has been sitting there since 1958, and was lost during a training accident. Yes, Virginia, there was a time when our military thought it would be a good idea to fly around the sky with unfused nuclear weapons just for fun. I used to laugh out loud at Dr. Strangelove, but now that I've learned a lot more (then-classified) stuff about how the Air Force was set up in the '50s, I get a serious case of the heebies when it comes on. No wonder the Soviets had thousands of nukes pointed at us. We were capable of anything.

Posted by scott at 07:11 PM eMail this entry!
Well Shiver Me Timbers!

It's "Talk Like A Pirate Day!"

Go here and be a pirate for a day!

Here are some basics:

Top Ten Pickup lines for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day

10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?
9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?
8. Come on up and see me urchins.
7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.
6. I'd love to drop anchor in your lagoon.
5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if fired me cannon through your porthole?
4. How'd you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?
3. Ya know, darlin’, I’m 97 percent chum free.
2. Well blow me down?
And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is …
1. Prepare to be boarded.

Posted by Ellen at 10:09 AM eMail this entry!
September 18, 2004
Doom3 Done

Finished the damned thing this morning. I tend to agree with Gamespot... 8.5 out of 10. It had a nice, detailed, and long single player campaign, which is a big plus for me as I don't do much shooter multiplay (too much twitch, I usually don't even see what's killed me a dozen times). It was a damned scary game at times, sometimes (especially after a glass or two of wine) I just couldn't keep playing it. Too much adrenaline.

That said, it definitely had some flaws. The "boo" factor that's so nifty can also at times get very old. Eventually I found myself rushing back and forth from point to point just to trigger the spawn events. The lack of open or outdoor levels confine you to a pretty linear transit of what is already a linear game. The tight confines also help disguise what is essentially a pretty weak AI. There are no gang tactics, no flanking, no running to get help, etc. Again, because of the nature of the game, it's not glaringly noticeable, but in the post-Half-Life universe smart baddies are half the fun.

The storyline was very immersive, and unfolds nicely, but I would've liked a few more main objectives. I wanted a little more redemption, maybe an extra rescue or two.

Still, it is a very good game, definitely a healthy "check-your-brain-at-the-door-and-blow-stuff-up" bit of entertainment. If all you want to do is run around and blast demons and devils, you could do a whole helluva lot worse.

Posted by scott at 04:36 PM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2004
Game Time!

A little something for a slow Friday: Blox Forever, yet another one of those "easy to learn, hard to master" puzzle games that drive me insane. Puzzles are not my friend! But they are Ellen's... I'll bet she spends an hour obsessing over this tonight.

Stuck at level 8, but not for long... oh, no, not for long... MUHAHAHAHAHAHAH...

Posted by scott at 10:13 AM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2004
The [8-bit] Sound and Fury

Joshua gets a no-prize in a cartridge for bringing us Name that Video Game, a contest of sound and memory. This one I actually did pretty well on... 16 out of 18, although maybe four of those were just flat guesses. Amazing what you can do with, what, 16 sounds?

Posted by scott at 12:26 PM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2004
Avast, me hearties!

Are ye ready for Talk Like A Pirate Day 2004?

4 days and counting! ARRR!!!

Posted by Ellen at 06:29 PM eMail this entry!
An Invention Who's Time has Come?

Always on the forefront of innovation, we here at AMCGLTD are proud to present [drum roll] the Doggy Diaper:

Paul LeFevre's 'doggy bag' is essentially a designer nappy for dogs, reports the Montreal Gazette.

As the proud owner of what has effectively become a quarter-million dollar litterbox due to cats with "issues", I can only hope the feline version is not far behind. As it were.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
September 13, 2004
Double Exposure

No, you're not seeing things, it really does have six wheels. And a whole load of other things too. What I find surprising is no ricer has ever tried this with a civic. Lord only knows how much it'll cost, if it ever sees production in the first place.

Posted by scott at 07:16 AM eMail this entry!
September 12, 2004
The Best Episodes Ever

The very best of the episodes of Futurama

September 08, 2004
Student brings his hunting hawk to college

UNITY, Maine — When Andrew Fleming packed for college, he needed two cars: One for his clothes, computer and mini refrigerator, and the other for his red-tailed hawk Belle and all her gear.

Fleming, who plans to major in wildlife biology and dreams of becoming an ornithologist, became hooked on falconry when he attended a sporting exposition. He was entranced by the owls, falcons, hawks and eagles on display.

Falconers must have federal as well as state licenses. Maine has 20 licensed falconers, said Mark Stadley of the state Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department. Maine also requires a hunting license is the bird hunts, Stadley said.

Read entire article.

Posted by Ellen at 04:45 PM eMail this entry!
September 07, 2004
Cha-Ching

Ron gets a pricey no-prize for bringing us this report from the recently held Pebble Beach classic car auction. The feature car, a 1935 Duesenberg SJ Speedster, fetched a record-setting 4.455 million dollars. No word on whether any Alfas were on sale there, although I'd wager they were there. Then again, considering most pre-war Alfa models never made it much past double-digit production numbers, it's just possible none were on offer.

Posted by scott at 05:26 PM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2004
Old [Food] Friends, Long Gone

Fark linked up this nifty trip down gastric memory lane, also known as "what was your favorite now-extinct restaraunt chain?" The ones they mention that I remember were:

  • Burger Chef. Loved those kid meals, drove my parents bananas over them. Sitting in the back of my dad's VW bug trying to talk my brother out of the chocolate cookie he got in his meal while ABBA played on the 8-track is one of my earlier memories. We had copies of their Star Wars posters on our walls for ten years or more.
  • Shakey's. There was, as I recall, a Shakey's in or around Merrit Island Florida. They had a player piano, which was possibly the coolest thing I had ever seen. Badgering my parents to let me run up and see it again is probably one of my earliest memories.
  • Arthur Treacher's. Never ate there, but I thought the commercials were memorable and goofy. Someone ran one less than a mile from our old Apartment, on Duke street as I recall. It finally closed down about three or four years ago.
  • Godfather's pizza. A college staple. The radio commercials were excellent too.
  • Taco Tico. Just a name to me, but I do remember seeing it on dozens of signs.

Of course, some of these chains are still around, just much changed or much smaller, but they're not around here or anywhere else I have frequented over the years. Be sure to give the thread a look and see if you spot any of your own "old friends".

Dang. Now I'm hungry!

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
September 05, 2004
Wooo! Pig! Sooey!

63-13 baby, 63-13. Of course, they've beaten these poor bastards five times in a row now, so it would seem the first game on the schedule is a gimme. But hey, take what you can get, no?

Posted by scott at 03:13 PM eMail this entry!
The Coppertone Battleaxe

Fark linked up this nifty interview with the real-life "Coppertone girl." She doesn't really have all that much to say, but her mother, the artist who created the illustration, was far more interesting:

"So whattya want to know?" she growled.

I wanted to know everything, I confessed, from the beginning to now, but especially about the Coppertone Girl that had titillated me as a young boy.

"Be careful, Mother," said her daughter from across the table. "Don't use any swear words."

I'd like to think I'd be this entertaining at 86.

Posted by scott at 09:33 AM eMail this entry!
September 01, 2004
I'm not Even Supposed to Be Here!

Ron gets a no-prize in a slurpee cup for bringing us news that a "Clerks" sequel is in the works:

The sequel -- titled "The Passion of the Clerks" -- is set to begin shooting in January. Miramax Films, which turned the original into a cult-hit after buying it at the Sundance Film Festival, plans to distribute the follow-up.

Looks like all the originals will be back, although considering the many subsequent adventures of Jay & Silent Bob, I imagine there will be a lot of changes.

Here's to hoping it doesn't suck!

Posted by scott at 08:39 AM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2004
Geometry, Halo-Style

This is just about the simplest flash game I've ever played, but for some reason I can't stop. Maybe it's the explosions, popping aliens, and Halo tie-in. Maybe it's making that little warthog spin like a propeller. Maybe I just need help.

Yeah, probably that third one.

Posted by scott at 03:44 PM eMail this entry!
Iraqi Roundup

Site Essential linked up this comprehensive breakdown of "everything else" that's been happening in Iraq lately. From commerce to security, it seems to touch everything. And, not surprisingly, the news we're not hearing isn't very bad at all.

Posted by scott at 02:02 PM eMail this entry!
Testify

We're still catching up on our TiVo'd Olympics stuff (I loved the way the Greeks made the fireworks zip across the top of the stadium), so we haven't caught any of the Republican convention. Which means we missed Rudi:

Neither party has a monopoly on virtue; we don’t have all the right ideas, they don’t have all the wrong ideas, but I do believe there are times in history when our ideas are more necessary, and more important, and critical. And this is one of those times – when we are facing war and danger.

Ex-f'ing-zactly.

Exiting stage-right before the yellow-dog peanut gallery remembers where they put the crate of old tomatoes...

Update: Transcripts are your friend. When you're smart enough to find them anyway. Must learn to use google more effectively...

Posted by scott at 12:20 PM eMail this entry!
A Wheel Chair, for the Rest of Us

Ok mom, next time you visit us we've found what we're going to push you around in at the mall:

Giuseppe Cannella had a big surprise for his mother-in-law when he put a jet engine on the back of her wheelchair.

Mr Cannella says the chair can now do top speeds of more than 60mph and has proved the star of a model plane championship during the Bank Holiday.

James Hansen gets a no-prize for bringing us the only thing in the world that might actually keep up with Olivia now that she's learned to walk.

Posted by scott at 08:01 AM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2004
Firestorm Tornados

WOW!.

With videos!

Posted by Ellen at 07:11 PM eMail this entry!
It's Like Reese's, for Beer

Combine the shape and handiness of a bottle with the tech and superior insulation qualities of aluminum and what do you get? Well, this:

[Pittsburgh Brewing Co., maker of Iron City Beer] has partnered with Alcoa Inc., the world’s largest aluminum maker, to produce aluminum bottles that keep beer colder for as much as 50 minutes longer, Alcoa officials said.

Hopefull it'll make carrying a case out to the car a little easier too.

I, for one, welcome our new aluminum overlords.

Posted by scott at 12:39 PM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2004
Houston, We Have an Emulator

Actually, I was wondering how long it would take for someone to create an emulator that would allow original Apollo mission source code to run on a modern PC. Slashdot linked a notice that it has now been done.

Since this computer was designed to do a very specific thing with *very* limited equipment, it's not really a simulator of any sort. Rather, what this guy has done is write a program that re-creates the Apollo computer exactly. The only difference (ideally) is that this computer "lives" inside another.

As noted on the site itself, people are using this "computer" to create high-fidelity space simulations, which means, with the right peripherials and carpentry skills, it should some day (soon!) be possible to create a 100% authentic Apollo flight simulator using PC equipment.

Posted by scott at 12:50 PM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2004
Gotta Get Me One of These Too

I mean, who wouldn't want a full-size Apache flight trainer? Only $150,000! WhatABargain!

Yet more proof that you can buy absolutely anything on e-bay if you wait long enough.

Posted by scott at 12:48 PM eMail this entry!
August 26, 2004
A Translator, for the Rest of Us (Guys)

I don't care if this dictionary is in German or not, I want one:

A leading German dictionary publisher plans to launch a guide it says will help men translate the subtext of female conversation.

The Langenscheidt publishing group, best known for its well-respected yellow foreign language dictionaries, will launch sales of a 128-page book to translate such baffling female banter as: "Let's just cuddle" into "No sex tonight please!."

Via Mahmood, who's matching deep interest in this item simply proves that it doesn't matter where the guy happens to live; when it comes to chicks, some problems are cross-cultural.

Posted by scott at 01:26 PM eMail this entry!
August 25, 2004
Damned Skimpy!

Carrie (ha! Spelled it right this time!) gets an enlightened no-prize for bringing us Miss Liberty's Film & TV World, a website that shows even near-anarchic libertarians can still bicker about ideological purity. Hey, as long as it gets the message out!

Not to be missed: the latest trailer for the Parker & Stone production, Team America: World Police. Looks to be just as sharp as "Bigger and Uncut", only without the animated penises. We hope.

A libertarian site on film. Hmmm... now to get Joshua to read it very, very carefully.

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2004
Joshua's Gonna Have a Field Day with This One

Ron gets a no-prize with a diaper on it for bringing us news of the latest develpment in rash treatment:

Boudreaux has a serious product — marketing techniques aside — in a diaper rash ointment that he began mixing in his Covington pharmacy in the 1970s ... The product went nameless for several years until a woman took her baby, who had a bad diaper rash, to see Covington pediatrician Buddy Terral. Terral, the story goes, offered to write her a prescription.

“She said she was going down to George Boudreaux’s store and have him whip up some of that butt paste,” Boudreaux said.

The name stuck.

Well what the heck else are ya gonna call it? Let's hear it for good ol' American entrepenurialism and utter lack of tact! It's what makes this country great!

Posted by scott at 04:00 PM eMail this entry!
I Can See My House from Here, Part II

Give it an address, any address, and it will give you a plane's-eye view. We had pictures of our house taken in 2002, and then of the area our house was in in 91. Even lets you move around, like a giant Yahoo map. Freaky!

Posted by scott at 12:59 PM eMail this entry!
August 23, 2004
ScooterMan ScooterMan Where are You?

Now why hasn't someone thought of this before:

You go out in your own car and eat, drink and be merry to your heart's content. Then, you call ScooterMan (or make arrangements earlier in the evening). ScooterMan shows up on a small scooter, which he folds up into the trunk (or "boot" if you're British) of your car and drives you home in your own car. Once you and your car are safely home, ScooterMan retrieves his scooter from your trunk and scoots himself off into the night.

Well, now that I think about it there are probably a dozen different liability angles you'd have to take care of, especially in the US. Unfortunately the scooterGirl pictured is not part of the service.

Posted by scott at 02:13 PM eMail this entry!
August 22, 2004
Pieces Parts

One of my car digests noted yet another sign we are all living science fiction: E-machine shop.com, the first company (that I know of) that makes all those hyper-fancy computer-controlled machine tools available to just about anyone. All you need to do is create what you want in their (supposedly) easy-to-use software, send it to them (with a check, of course), and a few weeks later your part arrives.

Alfa Romeo is world-famous for requiring a whole chest of custom tools to do any real work. They are, of course, no longer available, but maybe with this service and the right plans...

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2004
Olivia's Next Birthday Present!

Hey, gotta start 'em out early:

Up for grabs is 1 very clean race ready bandolero ... it was never crashed bad or flipped ,car has been raced at Atlanta , 5th in pts in 2002,7th at bando nationals 2002 ,4th in pts 2003 ... the car is set up for a small driver 8-13 yr old

How cool is that? :)

Posted by scott at 03:09 PM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2004
The Kid's All Right

Fark (of all places) linked up a note that the world's smallest surviving baby just entered high school:

Madeline Mann once weighed less than a can of soda as the tiniest surviving newborn known to medicine.

Next week, she enters her suburban high school as something even more extraordinary -- an honor student who plays violin and likes to Rollerblade.

See? Sometimes it does work out!

Posted by scott at 02:14 PM eMail this entry!
August 17, 2004
~ I Want to Ride My Bicycle ~

While digging around to see if auto gear lube would substitute for "real" bike chain lube (it doesn't), I stumbled across this nifty bike guide for bikers who want to cruise around Manhattan. While I don't particularly feel like riding my Giant "downtown" (yet), the tips are still valid for anyone who regularly rides any streets. Plus, the whole thing is well written with a nice sense of humor.

Posted by scott at 08:08 PM eMail this entry!
It's Called a Price War, and It is Very Good

Slashdot linked up news of the first shot in what may turn out to be a full-blown price war:

On Monday, [Real Networks] said it would temporarily slash its price for song downloads to 49 cents — 50 cents less than iTunes.

Yes, temporarily, but still, it's movement. And the crack at the end about "losing money"? Not if Real has cut some sort of deal with the labels. I do so love markets...

Posted by scott at 02:49 PM eMail this entry!
Calling All Cars

Want to listen in on Police or Fire Department broadcasts but don't have a scanner? Never fear, PoliceScan.us is here. Dozens of them, even. From the list, it doesn't look like there are any digital systems, but it should give you a nice preview of what it would be like to own a scanner.

Posted by scott at 10:26 AM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2004
Nike permanently affixes goggles to Olympic swimmers’ eyes

Nike wants you to use their latest drag-killing device, the strapless water goggles. How does it work? Two independent goggle lenses get afixed to your eye sockets with medical-grade adhesive (read: superglue).

Read entire article here.

with picture!

Posted by Ellen at 05:12 PM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2004
Freaks Script

THERE NEVER WAS, before or since, a movie like FREAKS, a 1932 film by horror-master Tod Browning (director of Bela Lugosi's DRACULA), and, safe to say, there probably never will be again.

Today it is a cult classic, but in its day FREAKS was considered too horrifying, and public outrage forced it to be withdrawn from distribution.

The sideshow "freaks" were all played by persons with real deformities. No special-effects makeup was used, except in one brief scene at the end of the movie.

The lengthy prologue that scrolls up the screen at the beginning of the film includes these lines: "Never again will such a story be filmed, as modern science and teratology is rapidly eliminating such blunders of nature from the world."

The script for FREAKS.

Posted by Ellen at 05:49 PM eMail this entry!
It's the MP3 Player I'm Looking at, You Know

Well, looks like someone's gone and stuffed an MP3 player into an AK-47 ammo magazine. Ok guys, now go back and look at the player she's carrying. Apparently you can buy just the case as well. Took me reading (reading I tell you, reading) the site 3 times to spot that.

No, I don't know what the old hippie dude is doing there either.

Posted by scott at 09:56 AM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2004
Our Stamp

Heh. I was a double-dope. Turns out when Politburo said "go see your stamp", he wasn't kidding:

amcglmtd.gif

Now how cool is that?!? Thanks dood!

Posted by scott at 08:16 PM eMail this entry!
My Doom

Ok, Doom3 is almost starting to annoy me. The AI isn't as good as Far Cry, and there aren't (so far) any outdoor levels whatsoever. It's getting a wee repetitive at this point.

I will say, though, that I've never played a shooter that could sustain this sort of adrenaline level over this period of time. And I've played a lot of shooters over the years. Remember the first time you saw Aliens? How you couldn't sleep that night? It's like that, only you're not watching it, you're in it.

At the end, I think I'm going to rate it with the number of "involuntary underwear changes."

Right now, I think I'm up to 10.

Posted by scott at 08:10 PM eMail this entry!
Desert Rose

Instapundit linked up a nice story that seems to indicate they don't all hate us:

I felt more welcome traveling in Tunisia than anywhere else I've ever been in my life. Partly this is no more than the legendary Arab hospitality, which I'm happy to report is alive, well, and understated. Even so, I'm more convinced now than before that the Terror War is strictly ideological. It has little or nothing to do with any clash of civilizations. If Tunisians thought me their enemy they chose a peculiar way to express it.

Play it again, Sam!

Posted by scott at 09:42 AM eMail this entry!
August 10, 2004
Helping the Self-Helpers

Some friends have set up a web site for Liberty's Promise, a charitable organization whose mission I wholeheartedly agree with:

Liberty's Promise works to sustain and support young immigrants while encouraging them to be active and conscientious American citizens. Our programs of direct assistance and research aim to make the immigrant experience an affirmative one for young newcomers while instilling in them a sense of pride and support for American ideals of democracy and freedom. By doing so, Liberty's Promise seeks to reaffirm our fundamental egalitarian and democratic traditions for future generations.

Anything that helps more productive people become Americans is fine by me!

Posted by scott at 03:13 PM eMail this entry!
The Tricky Part is Getting an Extension Cord That'll Reach the Stadium

Finally science comes up with something useful:

Three college buddies tired of leaky trash cans and warm beer at the bottom of the keg say they have the solution to better the beer-drinking experience.

It's a portable cooling wrap designed to make kegs more portable and to keep beer cold in pickup trucks, at the beach or in the back yard. Also, they say it would get rid of the annoyance and cost of ice replacement.

I'm pretty sure I even know how it works, because there have been PC CPU coolers using the same tech for years. I've just never heard of it on something this big before.

Posted by scott at 08:08 AM eMail this entry!
August 05, 2004
But Do They Stop "Mailbox Baseball"?

Some people just put a box on a post. Others encase it in brick or concrete. But neither has anything on this collection of extremely... rmmm... "interesting" mailboxes. I mean, I wouldn't want to smash one with a baseball bat.

I especially like the one done in stone shaped like a gun. Kinda says it all, in my book.

Posted by scott at 07:51 PM eMail this entry!
Waterworks Arms Race

Live near a pool? Finals coming up? this CPS 3200 combo might be for you! Lord knows how heavy it is when it's filled with water. Which wouldn't be for long, around me at least.

Posted by scott at 03:41 PM eMail this entry!
August 04, 2004
Guess I'll be Going to Best Buy Today

Doom 3 is in stores now, and apparently it is very, very good:

You will jump back. A lot. Even if you've played through an area before, even if you know where all the demons are, you will still be jolted because Id's craftsmen did such a careful job orchestrating your claustrophobia. Yes, we may be a little jaded on scripted sequences guiding the action, but this three-ring circus of adrenaline and fear elevates gaming as an art form and puts it on par with Hollywood.

And yes, Virginia, I do have the Uber-system required to play the thing maxed out.

Damn... just when my tan started looking good too...

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
August 03, 2004
Bah. Who Needs a Ferrari?

Yes, fellow aviation nuts, for just 3.5 million you too can own your very own MiG-29. Why kill yourself doing 150 mph when you can do it going mach 2?

Posted by scott at 04:36 PM eMail this entry!
Beats Working

Joshua gets a carrier-based no-prize for bringing us this nifty F-18 game. No, not a sim, but definitely a nice distraction from a hot, muggy Tuesday.

Except for me. I'm off to the pool. Suckers!

Posted by scott at 01:29 PM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2004
Missed Opportunity

Gah. I went on vacation just when KITT was going up for auction. Heh... Jeff's TA is probably faster, but mine would've had, like, buttons and stuff... heheheheheheh.

Posted by scott at 01:48 PM eMail this entry!
July 29, 2004
How 80's are you?

Here's a fun quiz for those of you who are fans of the 80's - as I am. Unfortunately, I only pulled a 75 and you can see what I got...

Posted by ron at 02:53 PM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2004
Enough of Cat Week
Okay – we’ve had three installments of cat week, three mouse chronicles, and not a damn thing about dogs. I just can’t let that stand. Thusly, I bring you Pongo – quite possibly the best dog in the world.

AMCGLTD_Pongo.JPG

Pongo has been with me for a little over 13 years now. He is a black lab/chow mix, neutered male, and is one of the biggest love dogs out there.

As I stated before, he’s a bit over 13. I actually got him from my brother, who got him from his then fiancé’s aunt’s friend. He was a breeder and had chows and black labs. Apparently, a fence wasn’t quite tall enough and viola, puppies are on the way. Anyhow, my brother ended up with two of them and I later ended up with Pongo – he was 7 months old and 50 pounds of pure energy. The first thing he officially did was destroy my room. Ripped up the carpet, tore the curtains down, etc. Guess he didn’t like to be left alone.

Later on in life, he and I moved to Ohio State together and had lots of fun on campus. He’d go to the Oval, swim in Mirror Lake, and poop on things. This was considered great fun for him – never mind that I had to deal with stinky puppy until I could give him a bath.

Since then, he’s moved around Ohio, to Delaware, Maryland, and now Virginia, where Amber and I reside. At this point, he’s a dog besieged by cats. Of course, since he’s a bit of an elder statesman in the dog world, he just ignores them. In fact, all he really wants to do is sleep, eat, sleep, get loved on, sleep, poop and pee, sleep, etc. If you come over, he’ll come right up to you, put his head on your lap, and look at you with those big brown ‘nobody ever loves me’ eyes until you pet him. Then he’ll lick you to death.

He’s very well-behaved (except for that silly not listening to Amber thing…). I can put steak on the floor and he won’t go for it (even if the kitties will) until I tell him to. He responds to snaps of the finger (one snap means come, second snap means sit, third means lay down), and commands in English and Spanish.

His favorite trick is to be in the way. If you’re carrying something heavy, he gets in front of you. If you’re trying to sweep the floor, he’s walking through the dust pile. If you want to eat, he lays in front of your chair so you’ve nowhere to put your feet. Isn’t he the best?

Posted by ron at 07:02 PM eMail this entry!
Update from Redneck land

Okay - Amber's got the latest scoop from Arkansas. Apparently, O is up to 7 recognizable words. She can say "no", "stop", "don't", "yeah", "huh?", "bye-bye"and "ehwww". If she keeps watching XuXu, she'll have Portuguese going next...

She's also taken three steps in a row. Life is good on the overall.

Now - the frightening part - I hear Amber saying, "I want one. Need to make sure it's a girl, but I need to get me one of them."

HELP!!!!

Posted by ron at 06:55 PM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2004
BOOYAH!

Okay - This isn't the normal kind of thing you find here, but since Scott and Ellen did tell Amber and I to host the site, I just can't help myself...

DALLAS HAS SIGNED EDDIE GEORGE!!!!

This is a huge deal as Dallas has needed a running game. We now have a decent quarterback, a good passing game, and a fresh group of guys running the ball with an incredible mentor in Eddie George. Note that Eddie George was THE running back when I graduated from OSU, and that makes things even sweeter.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging.

Posted by ron at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2004
Doom-Mark

Slashdot linked up the very first series of benchmarks using Doom 3, which should hit the shelves week-after-next. In a fit of uncharacteristic rationality, they had this to say:

Having a last-generation video card and playing DOOM 3 is simply going to provide a great gaming experience with all features turned on that make DOOM 3 what it is ... What good is a $500 video card if you don't have money left over to purchase DOOM 3?

Which is exactly why I went with the 9800XT I could buy instead of the next-gen that was due out a few weeks afterward.

I *think* D3 is going to be available for consoles, but even HD users won't experience the level of graphics available on high-end PCs. Regular TVs will be even less impressive.

"Yeah, but my X-box didn't cost $1500". True, true, but my TV only cost $400, and I can game downstairs on my PC without worrying about the carpet shark sneaking up and grabbing the controller because it's got lots of pretty lights. To each his own, ya see...

Posted by scott at 08:34 AM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2004
Paging Joshua Hoover, White Courtesy Phone Please

Egyptophile Joshua (and others) will probably find this heiroglyphics translator interesting. AMCGLTD comes out as, well... "hawk owl left-pointing-frond ... rrmm... 'pants' lion 'something' obelisk".

Only thing I wish they'd done was enable a way to link up the names. Ah well. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 08:07 AM eMail this entry!
July 20, 2004
English Literature's Most Famous Stenographer?

Rueters is running this story detailing the discovery of just who exactly it was that transcribe Chaucer's Canterbury tales:

Adam Pinkhurst -- whose name was found by a U.S. handwriting expert -- wrote the 14th century manuscripts of Chaucer's pilgrims' stories, the most celebrated work of medieval English literature.

Until this time, all we knew about him was what Chaucer himself wrote, which wasn't very complimentary. Dead men may tell no tales, but sometimes they speak nonetheless.

Posted by scott at 01:14 PM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2004
Super... err... Person?

Jeff gets a no-prize with a cape for bringing us the superhero and (for the ladies) superheroine quizzes.

I came out as "Mr. Fantastic" (the rubberized guy from the Fantastic 4). Not bad, not bad, because you know he can stretch any part of his body...

Oink oink oink.

Posted by scott at 01:45 PM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2004
Happy 35th!

This one snuck up on us all... next Tuesday is the 35th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing (the launch date anniversary is today). Ok, that "thud" you heard was my mom falling over. Don't worry folks, she falls down a lot.

Sometimes I worry the nutballs in the turban-and-virgin-fetish crowd might have a shot at us. At least, until I remember that we put men on the moon before most of them were born, and they're still sitting inside caves. Then I don't worry as much.

I just get mad.

Posted by scott at 03:42 PM eMail this entry!
Now You Know

If you use internet explorer regularly, you've probably already gotten annoying, nearly-impossible-to-remove adware installed on your system. Well, guess what, now you've got to be careful which removal package you use.

I use Mozilla products. Best adware protection in the business.

Posted by scott at 12:17 PM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2004
A Beer Bong, for the Rest of Us

Fark (of course) linked up this SMH Australia article about a recent decision to ban a deviced called "AWOL", which stands for "Alcohol Without Liquid".

Apparently the thing works by mixing regular "alcoholic spirits" (which I take to mean gin, vodka, whiskey, et. al.) with oxygen. The resulting vapor is then inhaled by the "drinker", resulting in a supposed high 10 times stronger than regular-style consumption without hangover or (in this diet-crazed world) calories.

Which only proves to me that Aussies are clever bastards indeed. The thing looks like a vending machine, no idea how much it might cost.

Posted by scott at 03:07 PM eMail this entry!
Perilous Legos

Is there anything that can't be done with legos? Apparently not, as this extremely entertaining movie, "The Perils of Doc-Ock" amply demonstrates. And to think all I ever built with them was walls.

Posted by scott at 10:04 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2004
Choosing Sides

This platform quiz goes far beyond your typical "choose A, B, C, or D" one-liner questionaire. In this one, they present an excerpt from each party's platform, and you choose which one you agree with. None of the platforms are marked, and they change position with each question. At the end of the quiz, you're presented with a list of how many points on each platform you agreed with. All in all, a much nicer way of finding out what the parties stand for instead of against.

Hmm? Oh... Libertarian: 4, Republican: 2, Green: 1, Democrat: 0. That Green vote kinda scares me a bit. No idea which one it was.

Via LaShawn Barber.

Posted by scott at 10:03 AM eMail this entry!
July 12, 2004
Dating Palms

Mohammed over at Iraq the Model takes some time out to show us what Iraq's national tree looks like when it's ready for harvest. I'd read about dates and date palms, and of course remember how they were featured prominently in Indiana Jones, but had never actually seen what the trees look like in full fruit before. Reminds me of gigantic grape bunches wired to a palm tree. I wonder what they taste like?

Posted by scott at 02:26 PM eMail this entry!
July 10, 2004
Ex-‘Blue’s Clues’ Host Reinvented As Rocker

Burns is the former host of the beloved Nickelodeon children’s program, “Blue’s Clues.”

Since he left the show in 2003, he has seemingly reinvented himself as an indie rocker.

Read entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 09:38 AM eMail this entry!
July 08, 2004
Bug-Me-Not

CaptainHowdy gets an anonymous no-prize for bringing us BugMeNot.com, your one-stop-shop to read all those news links we post that require registration. Ok Nina, no excuses now, you'll have to read all the articles!

Posted by scott at 08:14 PM eMail this entry!
Cat Crackdown

Well, Italians at least seem to be taking steps to enforce responsibilty toward pets:

The [Italian] Senate gave final approval Thursday to an animal cruelty bill which would impose prison terms of up to one year and fines of up to 10,000 euros ($12,350) for those convicted of abandoning their pets .
...
Pessimists wonder how easy it will be to track down Italians who abandon their pets and bring them to justice, but at least one Italian region has come up with a solution.

In northern Piedmont, the government has introduced a bill requiring all dog owners to plant microchips in their pets.

Great. Now Ellen will want to be an Italian police officer.

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
Buried Treasure

Fark linked up this story about an amazing find that should prove to be a real boon to Philadelphia schools:

In the city's cash-strapped public schools, a multimillion-dollar treasure trove of art has been discovered in basements, boiler rooms, closets and hallways.

The collection encompasses about 1,200 works in all, many of them paintings but also sculpture, wall murals, tapestry, ancient artifacts and works on paper. The collection is likely worth tens of millions of dollars, school officials and art experts said.

Nothing like a 10-million dollar shot in the arm to help the ol' school budget along, eh? Of course, now they have to do something smart with the money. Public school administrations don't have a very good track record in that regard. Expect massive bureaucratic bickering soon.

Posted by scott at 09:38 AM eMail this entry!
July 07, 2004
Sim Tech

Flight-sim officianados may be interested to learn Saitek has a new product, the X-52, coming out this fall. No price listed yet, but the X-45 system is $80, and I seriously doubt this one will come in less than that.

I've used Saitek's line of high-end controllers for about eight years now. They are not perfect; there were serious design flaws in the X-36 and the X-45's spring system isn't as precise as I'd like, but for the price there literally is nothing else that even comes close.

Posted by scott at 11:05 AM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2004
Watch for Falling Prices

Those of you looking to pick up one of those hyper-cool LCD TVs will be pleased to know prices are expected to drop significantly this year:

DisplaySearch expects priced for LCDs to [drop] faster than expected. Despite strong LCD TV shipments, inventories were growing in the first quarter of this year, the market research firm said Friday.

A new TV is a definite "maybe" for our FY 05-06 budget. Even though we're right now interested in DLP technology, LCDs might end up dropping into our budget range. Regardless, this will put downward price pressure on pretty much everything (except plasmas), so this is good news for everyone!

Posted by scott at 02:58 PM eMail this entry!
Chomp

Best. Bus. Ad. Ever.

Much better than those lame Scooby-Doo jobs running around town right now.

Posted by scott at 01:57 PM eMail this entry!
July 05, 2004
Milestone

Happy 25th birthday to the Walkman!

I remember when they came out, and how damned expensive they were ($200 in 1979 was a helluva lot of money for a tape deck). I ended up with a competitor's product that was 1/5th the price, but I never will forget the impact that gizmo had. Changed everything.

At some point they'll show the "Walkman-CD", and that's when all you high school graduates (Nina) will really get a laugh. The thing was as big as a purse, and I think it took 4 C cell batteries. Weighed a ton. People jogged with them anyway. Ah, the 80s... good times, good times.

Posted by scott at 04:46 PM eMail this entry!
Plywood Playa

Fark linked up this site that details the construction of what would normally be brass instruments out of plywood. I wonder what the square cross-section does for the tonality?

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2004
STFU!!!!

UNposter1.jpg

Thanks to Iraq The Model for the neato poster!

Posted by Ellen at 01:18 PM eMail this entry!
Traffic Sim

DC-area readers at least should be interested in this New Scientist article about a new traffic flow simulator. By using a new model that takes more sophisticated driver behavior into account, this new program is able to predict future traffic jams as much as an hour in advance.

Of course, in this area pretty much anyone can predict most of the local traffic jams. Say it with me folks: "Wilson bridge, 270 spur, 66 at rt 50, 395 at Duke"... you can set your watch by it sometimes.

Posted by scott at 09:09 AM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2004
When Curmudgeons Attack

Looks like Bill Cosby's mad as hell, and he's not taking it anymore:

Bill Cosby went off on another tirade against the black community Thursday, telling a room full of activists that black children are running around not knowing how to read or write and "going nowhere."
...
Cosby also said many young people are failing to honor the sacrifices made by those who struggled and died during the civil rights movement.

"Dogs, water hoses that tear the bark off trees, Emmett Till," he said, naming the black youth who was tortured and murdered in Mississippi in 1955, allegedly for whistling at a white woman. "And you're going to tell me you're going to drop out of school? You're going to tell me you're going to steal from a store?"

Finally someone famous enough to be heard with bona-fides (and money) enough to be listened to is stepping up. Liberal wailing and tearing of shirts in 3... 2... 1...

Let's posit for the sake of argument that the Republican party is composed of rich fundamentalist bigots. What's important to realize is this is not an end state. Change the people, change the party. Whichever party figures out free markets, rule of law, and unintrusive government is what most people want first will be the party that rules the country for the next twenty years. Looking around, I only see one that even comes close.

Time to change the people*.

----
* Note to the peanut gallery: "changing the people" does not mean "putting people who want to take my money 'for the common good'" in charge. While working for change, I'd much rather the country be run by people who want to change what some of us do than by people who want to change what most of us think.

Posted by scott at 12:44 PM eMail this entry!
Attic Find

Sometimes all you find in the attic is crap. Sometimes you find a lot more:

igeons fluttering through a hole in the ceiling of a Spanish cathedral led an art restoration team to discover an exquisite Renaissance fresco of winged angels that had been covered up for more than 300 years.

Posted by scott at 09:42 AM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2004
Test Time

Can you pass this 8th grade final exam from an 1895 Kansas school? I might pass it, but the math section alone would probably relegate me to "short bus" classes the next year. What I found most notable:

  1. A complete lack of any nods toward "cultural sensitivity".
  2. An unapologetic concentration on basics.
  3. Multiple choice? What's multiple choice?
  4. A five hour test! For 14 year-olds!
  5. A total lack of religious references. Dings the conventional wisdom of 19th century America as a land of religious wacks.
  6. A simple, direct, and business-like tone.

It's been, God, more than twenty years since I got out of the 8th grade, but the tests I remember were nothing like this, and if they had been:

  • Significant numbers of teachers wouldn't have been able to understand the questions, let alone grade the answers (thanks NEA!)
  • The black leadership in town would've run picket lines, and drawn national media attention, protesting such a "racist" test.
  • The white leadership in town would've crushed the entire administration because their pampered princes and princesses, unable to copy from the nerds, would've flunked in droves.
  • The working classes of both races would've flipped because their cherished champion high school football and basketball teams would've started the next year with perhaps one freshman recruit. Between them.

As I left the 8th grade Arkansas was instituting standardized tests (for students and teachers), and as I recall things like this did in fact happen. Nothing defines bloodsport more effectively than the politics surrounding schools, and the gladiatorial contests these initiatives created spattered impressive amounts of gore across the local papers. The sad thing is I'm not sure any of it did much good.

It's the fact that the century-old test has changed but the two-decade old experience might not that makes me seriously consider private schooling for Olivia.

Posted by scott at 10:28 AM eMail this entry!
June 29, 2004
Pre-Baby Pictures

BBCnews has this story discussing a new book out that for the first time uses the new 3-D ultrasound to examine the behavior of very early foetuses (that's how they spelled it) in the womb. The pictures taken show complex behaviors developing much earlier than previously thought. Includes several very interesting pictures.

Posted by scott at 08:38 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2004
Dog Day Afternoon

Peter B. gets a blue frizbee-shaped no-prize for bringing us this follow-up to that story we ran last week about the maniac who decides not to go on a killing spree because of a nice dog he met in a park. Apparently, the Canadian press are in sort of a frenzy to find out just who's dog it was, and have landed on Elvis, who turns out to be the B's family dog. He also says the following:

Another dog named Cisco was involved but our media seemed to only want to give credit to Elvis? The National Post was the only media that seemed to care about the truth. All the others tried to get my wife to lie about the time and also the courtroom sketch.

Nice to know that the US doens't have a corner on fork-tounged lizard reporters. Also tres cool to be contacted by the primary source! Thanks!

Posted by scott at 09:53 AM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2004
Master Blaster

Fark linked up this story on an interesting new method of enrichment (no, I don't live with a former primate vet tech... why do you ask?) for one zoo's chimpanzees:

At the zoo's new Regenstein Center for African Apes, chimpanzees can touch a panel hidden from public view that will shoot harmless bursts of air at unsuspecting visitors.

Hours of fun for apes of all ages!

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
June 25, 2004
Overstock Gold

Fark linked up this Wired story about how an unlikely company has become the number one employer in Afghanistan:

[A] confluence of factors culminated this week in a confirmation by the Afghan Ministry of Commerce that [Overstock.com, a site specializing in product liquidations,] is currently the largest provider of private employment in Afghanistan. According to Mariam Nawabi, commercial attaché for the Afghan Embassy in the United States, Overstock is currently believed to provide employment, directly or indirectly, for about 1,700 people living in Afghanistan.

I fully expect someone out on the idiotarian fringe to start saying this is a bad thing because the workers are being "exploited". To this I can only point out that no one is forcing these people to work. If at any point they feel these buyers are cheating them, they can always just stop working or sell their wares at a local market. There is no wage slavery here.

Posted by scott at 01:05 PM eMail this entry!
June 23, 2004
Beetle Bailey's Japanese Fetish

Bigwig over at Silflay discovered a nifty homage to a Japanese artist in a recent Beetle Bailey strip. I'd seen it, even smirked at it a bit, and never even noted the artistic difference.

Posted by scott at 12:31 PM eMail this entry!
Iraqi Gospel

Instapundit led me to this extremely interesting summary of good things happening in Iraq. For once I didn't detect a whiff of Vietnam-style sunshine-blowing in any of these reports, a very nice feeling indeed. Recommended.

Posted by scott at 09:08 AM eMail this entry!
June 22, 2004
A "Doom" Ship

Navy buffs will enjoy this article about the upcoming DD(x) super-high-tech destroyer. Innovations include flexible gas-turbine power, electric motors driving the screws (propellers), and provisions for direct energy (laser) and high-energy electromagnetic-kenetic weapons (aka "railguns"). Includes this most excellent quote: Our bottom line is that if we can put millions of joules of energy onto a target, something will happen.

Indeed.

Posted by scott at 06:37 PM eMail this entry!
Letter from the Front

Anyone who thinks the occupation is an unmitigated, unrelieved disaster should read this:

My platoon and I were on a security patrol in the countryside on the outskirts of the town when one of our vehicles became stuck on a narrow road bordered by a canal. It was in danger of rolling into the water. We had to stop our vehicles which can be very dangerous.

A family that lived nearby came out of their house and began to move toward our patrol. They were smiling and waving. There were children playing everywhere. The women prepared food and the eldest males met with us. Our vehicle was badly stuck and we needed chains to remove it. At this point, the surrounding families joined us and showed us tremendous hospitality. This is remarkable because often times, local terrorists will sometimes intimidate those who help us or show us kindness.

In the heart of one of the more dangerous areas of Iraq, no less.

Poorly run? Probably. Badly planned? Definitely. Without redemption? Never.

Posted by scott at 02:54 PM eMail this entry!
June 21, 2004
Mi Amore

Let's all take a moment out of our all-too-busy lives to consider what an exotic super car was like in a different age:

  • Dual overhead cam 8-cylinder, aluminum head and block, 225 bhp.
  • Supercharged
  • All independent suspension
  • 4 speed gearbox integral with differential at rear
  • 19 inch wheels
  • Aluminum sports body
When, sixty-four years, 6 wars, and 12 U.S. Presidents ago, Alfa Romeo created the ultimate 8C2900, the above specifications were obviously pretty wild. Only the Grand Prix cars of the era could offer more in terms of high tech, speed and acceleration. Perhaps the only comparison worth mentioning today is the McLaren F1.

Like the guy on TV says, "do you need a car like this? No, you don't really need a car like this. Do you want a car like this? Oh yeah, you want a car like this."

Posted by scott at 03:12 PM eMail this entry!
A Pet of the Week You Can Show Your Mother

TBIFOC linked up this innovative way of advertising pets for adoption. Anything that gets people to consider adopting a pet is fine by me.

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
June 20, 2004
Secret Mission: Car Salesman

Fark linked up this interview of a journalist who went "under cover" as a used car salesman for three months. In it, he describes the things he found both good and awful about the business. Bottom line: not all car salesman are sleazes, but their business model makes them seem so.

I've only purchased one new car in my life so far, and we got lucky because my sister-in-law was (is?) a member of some club that guaranteed a car at exactly $200 over the dealer's cost. No muss, no fuss. The salesman was still greasy as an oiled gangster, but at least we didn't have to talk price with him.

Posted by scott at 10:01 AM eMail this entry!
June 19, 2004
Survival of the Fastest

New Scientist is carrying this article summarizing a new and innovative idea about using evolutionary science to make F-1 cars go faster:

The team started with a population of randomly chosen tuning configurations, each of which was tested on two virtual tracks.

Recombination and mutation of the best 40 per cent were then used to come up with the next generation, some of which were faster still around the track. Eventually their system evolved configurations that consistently broke track records.

They had to use a game/sim, but considering the high fidelity of those the results should translate. Some of the back markers don't have much to lose, so I wouldn't be surprised if this tech ended up at, say, Sauber or Toyota.

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
June 18, 2004
Spirit Report

Jim Hake from Spirit of America just got back from Iraq, and sent out a nicely detailed e-mail summarizing his recent trip there. Unfortunately it's not posted on their website yet, so I'll "republish" it below.

An aside: The parallels, and contrasts, to the trips made by peace activists thirty years ago to Vietnam are striking. Then, as now, citizen groups went "under their own steam" to see what was going on in a faraway place and what they could do to help. Private groups would tour both North and South Vietnam and try to meet with all parties to see what could be done to achieve peace.

The results of the two missions couldn't be more different. Then, almost without exception, groups traveling to Vietnam would come back transformed. Even the idealistic ones, with bright ideas and shining faces, when confronted with the debacle that Vietnam had become, would change their message and mission radically. Once they'd seen first-hand the incompetence of leadership in all areas, the hopelessness and war-weariness of the people involved, they would suddenly stop talking about what could be done to win and start talking about what could be done to get out.

Now, it seems even missions to Iraq with a strongly negative spin (which lately seems to include anyone carrying a press pass), when pressed, will admit the situation is not in fact completely hopeless. People with less of an "anyone-but-Bush" agenda, who are more interested in succeeding in the mission at hand than placing blame on whoever or whatever got them there, are of course far more optimistic, although no less guarded.

It's time to let the dead bury the dead, and get on with what needs to be done to finish this successfully.


Greetings,

I'm back from my trip to Iraq. This message provides observations, conclusions, implications for Spirit of America moving forward, a few photographs and an interesting story or two.

This is a long message so if you read no further please understand three things: (1) there is hope for Iraq, (2) the support of the American people can make a critical difference to the Iraqi people and their future, and (3) our job at Spirit of America is to help the American people make that difference.

My goals for the trip were to:
1. Validate - or not - the key assumptions behind our plan to increase the scope and scale of Spirit of America's activities in Iraq.
2. Define the support most needed by Americans serving in Iraq for improving the lives of, and relationships with, the Iraqi people.
3. Determine the best approach for having SoA personnel in country to support our expanded activities.
4. Identify the ideas, people and programs with the greatest potential to effect an immediate and lasting improvement in the lives of Iraqi citizens at the grass roots level.

The trip was invaluable. The goals above were largely but not entirely achieved. On #3and #4 we made good progress but more work is needed.

The situation in Iraq is difficult and dangerous. The bad news we see, read and hear does happen even though it isn't nearly the whole story. But my most important conclusion was an encouraging one. There is hope for a positive, free and peaceful future for Iraq. A key part of the hope is the American people can engage and help the Iraqi people build a postive future. That opportunity is based much more on the involvement of the American private sector and citizens . much more person to person/people to people than government to government.

With the inevitable ups and downs in Iraq, it will be challenging to remember that there is hope. It is only hopeless if we give up. I know that may sound simplistic or na=EFve but it is true.

Those serving in Iraq - military and civilian - face a very tough situation. They deserve our full support. So do the Iraqi people, especially those who are working hard at great risk to build a better future for their country.


THE TRIP
My trip was from May 28 to June 4. I spent 1-=BD days in Baghdad, 4 days in Ramadi and 1 day in Fallujah. These are three of the most difficult areas in Iraq today. Ramadi is approx. 60 miles west of Baghdad. Fallujah is 30 miles west. While in Ramadi and Fallujah I was a guest of the 1st Marine Division. I stayed and traveled with them. I was in Baghdad as an "unattached" civilian but took the necessary steps to move about safely. I was also in Amman, Jordan coming and going.

I was accompanied by LtCol David Couvillon (the first Marine that SoA supported last summer) and two retired members of U.S. Special Forces. All have had extensive experience in Iraq. They were along to provide insight and analysis on our next steps. LtCol Couvillon was a Battalion Commander during the war last spring and after war served for 5 months as the Governor of Wassit Province. There are 11 provinces in Iraq and his position was akin to a Governor of one of our states. Couv has a great connection to and fondness for the Iraqi people. He also has a great understanding of how to make progress at the grass roots level.

During the trip I was able to spend time with and talk to Iraqis (from the Ministerial level to local leaders to "ordinary" people - mainly men, boys and girls), civilians working in Iraq, CPA personnel and, of course, the US Marines at all levels (Commanding General to Private First Class).

With the Marines in Ramadi we visited a neighborhood where the Marines were helping to build a mosque and a health clinic. We traveled in a Humvee convoy. There were about 25 Marines, an interpreter and us (four civilians). The Marines were led by an exceptional young officer: Capt. Egan. We spent time with the local Imam as well as boys and girls of all ages. We distributed school supplies, soccer balls and Frisbees that had been donated by Spirit of America and our supporters earlier this year.

Here's a photo of us playing Frisbee and me throwing one. Given my performance in windy conditions I don't think I'll be coaching Frisbee teams in Ramadi any time soon.

bWith the group of boys below I was talking about soccer (with the help of our interpreter). Two of the guys were boasting that they are excellent goalies. I told them my son had scored four goals in his game the week before. They seemed doubtful until I pointed out I was sure that goalie wasn't as good as they were. We all had a good laugh.

The adults and children were happy to see us, happy to talk and play. And, like children anywhere (at least mine!) happy to get gifts. The women of the community made flatbread for us during the visit. Fresh and hot it was excellent. Clearly, not every visit to a neighborhood in Iraq would be like that one but it was one of those nice human moments. It was also instructive to see how the Marines operate and relate to local communities. Very impressive.

After we returned to Camp Blue Diamond we videotaped a few of the young Marines talking about their experiences in Iraq. We'll get these up on the Web soon. Just before we left a Staff Sergeant Delgado approached me and said, "Sir, if you could get sandals for the kids around here, it would be a big help. Lots of kids didn't come out today because they don't have anything to wear on their feet and the streets are too hot." THAT is one great example why it's important to spend time in the field and with the men and women who are in it every day.

We're getting on this and you'll soon be getting a message about SSgt. Delgado's sandal request.

In Fallujah we spent time at a center where Iraqi civilians meet with the Marines to work on civil affairs and rebuilding projects. The center also serves as a training site for the Iraq Civil Defense Corps (ICDC). There I had a chance to discuss with the son of a local sheikh ideas for a neighborhood sports program that Spirit of America is considering supporting. He was positive on the idea and asked that we come back to meet with other local leaders to explore it further.

Also in Fallujah we visited a village on the outskirts of the city where the Marines were rebuilding a road. It was a rural village of about 20 homes. People largely live off the land - crops, goats and sheep. The Marines came to talk about the road project. We also passed out Frisbees, toys and school supplies to the local kids. Here are some children from the village with Spirit of America school supply kits.

Back at Camp Blue Diamond we met with the two officers (Maj. Chandler and Maj. Dunham) responsible for providing the TV equipment donated by Spirit of America to the 7 Iraqi stations in Al Anbar. When we met about =BD of the equipment had been delivered to the stations and technical training was being planned. With the new equipment Iraqi personnel at one of the stations took to the streets with camcorders to do "man in the street" interviews. When they broadcast the interviews the received numerous calls with positive feedback. Things like that associated with a free press that we take for granted are entirely new inmost of Iraq. We'll be getting a more detailed update on the TV gear and stations in the next few days and will email you as soon as we have it.

Also back at Camp Blue Diamond in Ramadi we met with the Director of Economic Development for Al Anbar Province. He is spearheading the creation of women's sewing centers in the Ramadi-Fallujah region. These centers will provide women with a chance to make money, some for the first time, and improve their lives and their families'.

Marines' Commanding General Jim Mattis is very enthusiastic about the project- both for its economic impact and because it will provide women a place to discuss women's issues (day care is provided). He has asked if we can help by providing the sewing machines. For starters we are looking for people to buy the first 50 sewing machines costing $475 each. You can support that request by clicking here: . http://w= ww.spiritofamerica.net/requests/1086384717.html . If t
hings go well with those, we'll do our best to provide 950 more, thus helping 1000 women.

The Marines are in frequent-enough danger in the Ramadi and Fallujah areas such that safety is never taken for granted. Each time we left base to visit a local village or community we were briefed on recent threats to Marines convoys (usually from IEDs - Improvised Explosive Devices). The base at Ramadi (Camp Blue Diamond) was mortared while we were there. After they were launched it was a nervous 45 seconds before they landed uneventfully about 400 yards away from our trailer. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Attacks are not constant but occur often enough to restrict the military's freedom of movement and action. To get around requires traveling in armed Humvee convoys or helicopters. We owe a great debt to the men and women that risk their lives every day over there.

As odd as this may sound, it is good news that things are not worse. It is a small, small percentage of the people that are fighting the coalition, our troops and the new Iraqi government. If that weren't the case we would hear much more bad news. It is easy to attack, easy to terrorize. That things are not worse evidences, in my view, that there is more hope than one might think and that the vast majority of Iraqis are not aligned with the future the terrorists and coalition fighters represent.

Conclusions and Implications for SoA
* There is hope for a relatively free, peaceful and prosperous society in Iraq even though the situation is very difficult and the challenges are enormous,

* The support and assistance of the American people (as distinct from the US Government) is essential to the progress of the Iraqi people. The best hope of Iraq turning out well in large part lies in the support and commitment of the American people.

* We will continue to support requests from and needs identified by Americans serving in Iraq. These projects currently support Marines, Army, Air Force and SeaBees and we're the things providing range from sandals, soccer balls and school supplies to sewing machines and TV and radio equipment.

* It is essential that we also support those Iraqis that are champions of a new Iraq and who are taking the initiative to improve the country in ways small and large. These people represent the future of the country and, in many ways, of the Middle East. By standing for freedom and a better life they are risking their lives

* There is an opportunity to increase the scope and scale of Spirit of America to positive effect in Iraq with the potential to "be the difference that makes the difference" in key areas. In the face of enormous needs and an infinite number of good things to do, accomplishing this requires a focused strategy.

* There are 3 areas of strategic focus for Spirit of America that deserve our greatest attention. They are the areas about which both the US Military and Iraqis are most enthusiastic.
1. Economic development programs - such as job training and microfinance. Our providing tools and sewing machines fits in this category. Housing and construction related projects emerged as high impact because of the jobs and visible signs of progress they create in addition to needed housing stock.
2. Youth programs, especially sports programs and support for education.
3. Media and information projects - such as training and equipment for Iraqi-owned and operated television and radio stations.

* In cases it will be better to conduct some of our projects as the American people without a direct or apparent link to the military or US Government. This approach will make it easier to establish the person-to-person, people-to-people links that we seek. In some cases it will increase the results we are able to produce - both in the eyes of the military and the Iraqi people.

* It will be essential to have a Spirit of America in country presence.

* There is no way to operate in Iraq without physical risk; i.e., SoA in country personnel includinng Iraqis, will be at risk of attack. Anyone who visibly works for progress in the country is an enemy of terrorists who seek chaos and a potential target for criminals who see financial opportunity in murder or kidnapping. We are still assessing the best way to structure our in country presence. In any scenario much of our work will be managed and executed by Iraqis (and, we are developing good contacts in that regard).

Next Steps
In the coming weeks you will hear more from us about:
* Status of projects you've already supported in Iraq and Afghanistan including the television station equipment and tools for Iraq and the soccer gear and
* New requests from Americans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
* Our plans for increasing the scope of our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and providing focus to the desire of the American people to help

Lastly, I want to thank the men and women of the Marines who put themselves in harms way to host us and ensure that we were able to move about safely. LtCol John Lutkenhouse went to great lengths to arrange meetings, trips and travel so that our visit achieved its goals. In fact, our "dance card" was so full that one of our team fell asleep standing up during one meeting. Fortunately, he caught himself before hitting the ground. I was doing the same sitting down.

As always, thank you for your support - whether that involves donating your time or money or simply reading these messages and considering if there are ways you can help.

All the best,
Jim Hake


 

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
Giant Under Glass

Slashdot linked up this Reuters piece that details efforts to preserve the last remaining Saturn V rock on "open air" display. Good to see this final vehicle will at last be protected from the elements.

And how's this for a heartbreaking comment:

I worked at the Johnson Space Center for two years, back in 1976-1978, and I was there when they brought in the Saturn V.

This was actual flight hardware that was supposed to have gone to the moon for the Apollo 18 mission. When they brought it in, it still had red "Remove before flight" tags hanging from various places.

I am ... really annoyed, saddened, and angry that NASA has let this vehicle rot away.

Me too, bud, me too.

Posted by scott at 08:34 AM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2004
F-1 Tech

Slashdot linked up this New York Times article detailing how technology has affected Formula-1 racing. In a nutshell: this sh*t is expensive, but it works.

However, the article gives short shrift to the drivers, who play a larger role than a casual observer would imagine. Ferrari are dominant, especially this season, not just because they have a fast car, but because they have arguably the best driver who's ever lived on their team. When the other teams are on the ball, Schumacher's teammate Rubens Barrichello has his hands full holding them off, while Schumacher simply walks away. When he drove for Benneton I watched him dominate a race so thoroughly that even driving a car stuck in 4th gear for half the race he managed to come in 3rd.

F-1 is Top Gun. NASCAR may be fun, and IRL may look the same, but there's nothing quite like the very best drivers pushing the very best engineering to the absolute edge of what either can do. There really is no substitute.

Posted by scott at 02:54 PM eMail this entry!
On Freedom, and Camels

The Religious Policeman (who is, it should be remembered, actually neither) has a couple of good posts. First, we have a nice breakdown of Saudi Arabia's religious policies, and their idiosyncratic consequences:

No non-Muslim may enter the cities of Makkah and Madinah. (However there is one unpublicized exception. Our national bus company, SAPTCO, runs Mercedes buses. Naturally, being a nation of managers and civil servants, we haven't learnt to maintain them ourselves. So we import German mechanics. What happens when a bus breaks down in one of those cities? We send in an infidel German mechanic to fix it, under cover of darkness.)

And, on the lighter side of being a Saudi, we have this picture-filled commentary on the Saudi national pet, the camel:

I once suggested to Mrs A that I liked the idea of keeping a camel out at the Souk. She said "That's alright, if you'd rather spend your spare time out there with your camel and other men, rather than here at home with me and your family."

Like I said, if you dig deep enough, most people are all too alike in many scary ways. Substitute "camel" with "Alfa Romeo" and you'd have an eerily familiar conversation heard occasionally in our house.

Posted by scott at 11:52 AM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2004
Ocean Bottom Museum

Jeff gets a no-prize "under the sea" for bringing us news of the latest Discovery Channel project:

Texas A&M University researchers have found the wreckage of a fleet of Japanese submarines that terrorized U.S. ships throughout World War II.

The vessels were sunk by the US Navy in 1946, and the location was classified for nearly sixty years. Now that information is declassified, and that's how researchers were able to find them. Apparently preservation is quite good, making it a sort of Japanese submarine museum down there. Look for the show this fall!

Posted by scott at 08:33 AM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2004
The Shape of (Corvette) Things to Come?

Jeff gets an all-new no-prize for bringing us the official "C6" Corvette preview site. 6L 400 hp V8 means lots of scoot, but unfortunately the website doesn't provide much more on the real specs.

I like it better than the C5, but I think those side vents make it look unfinished. Maybe it'll look better in person. At least this one doesn't "have back" like the C5. Every time I saw one of those go by I'd say to myself, "that car has a big ass."

Posted by scott at 04:21 PM eMail this entry!
Brain Cruncher

Here's another nifty IQ-like test for you, this time on vocabulary alone. I got a 160, which puts me just barely outside the 25th percentile of (pre-2002) participants. Since our readership is demonstrably smarter than we are, I expect you all to do far better.

The vocabulary test is particularly appropriate for English, which has by far the largest number of words of any European language.

Via Silflay.

Posted by scott at 10:32 AM eMail this entry!
All Your Games are Belong to Us

Slashdot linked up what must be the ultimate video game collection auction. Dozens of consoles and video games, some of which I've never heard of (pioneer made a console?), even developer guides and a few bottles of celebratory wine! If someone actually wins this stuff, they'll need to get it shipped on a palette. Buyer says to expect "more than 100kg" in shipping charges.

Posted by scott at 09:49 AM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2004
It's My Damned Money, I'll Spend it As I Please

Ok, The Smoking Gun is pitching Seinfeld's Manhatten Porsche heaven as, at best, a boondoggle. Lots of other people will be too I'm sure. But, as a fellow car nut (and Jerry likes the classics too), let me be one of the first to say, "hooray!" There hasn't been a time I've been in Old Town (Alexandria VA) where I haven't thought, "wow! what a great house! Shame it doesn't have a garage."

If I had the money, you'd be damned sure I'd find some spot nearby with an abandoned lot or ratty building and turn that into my garage. Fancy one too. Jerry doesn't strike me as the type to work on his own cars, which if true is a strike against him, but at least he's not spending his cash on cocaine and bimbos.

I'm jealous as hell, but it's a jealousy born out of admiration, not contempt. I'm going to have to move out into the middle of nowhere to have my paradise garage/shop (someday). It's good to see someone who realizes they don't have to.

It's a dream, people. The whole point is to live it.

Posted by scott at 07:33 PM eMail this entry!
June 11, 2004
~ Bit by Bit/Putting it Together ~

Never underestimate the power of a do-it-yourselfer. A guy, an Alfa, and a garage can be fun if you have the tools and the talent. I have neither, which is why I'm saving my pennies to pay someone who does. Not this year, probably not next, but watch out '07. 36 may be a very good year for my Spider! :)

Posted by scott at 03:57 PM eMail this entry!
Busted!

Took long enough, but now Valve is reporting several people have been arrested for stealing the code to their game, Halflife 2:

According to Valve, suspects in several countries had been taken into custody in relation to charges stemming from the theft of the Half-Life 2 code, the distribution of the code, and the break-in into Valve's network.

Bastards delayed my game. Toss 'em under the wheels!

Well, ok, maybe that is a bit severe... toss 'em under a tarp?

Posted by scott at 11:23 AM eMail this entry!
June 10, 2004
Out! Out Damned Spam!

Mahmood has been getting a new sort of spam on his blog, and unlike many weblogs instead of tearing his shirt and bleating about how unfair it all is, he's done something about it:

There are things that you can do to stop these asswipes from filling in your referer logs. Here's some information which might help you if you are a webmaster, it is painful and time-consuming, but it is worth it.

I haven't noticed us getting this sort of spam, but it may just be I haven't known to look for it. Regardless, decided we'd be pro-active (for once) and just implement it anyway. A lot of people think this is all such a pain they give up on the whole idea of comments or even blogging. Me, I think it's just part of the price you pay for your hobby.

Posted by scott at 01:25 PM eMail this entry!
June 09, 2004
Moist Apples

The apple nuts (seeds?) in the audience will probably be interested in the latest powermac design feature, liquid cooling. Having been around a few of these things lately, I can say that the powerPC chip definitely seems to be a good substitute for a space heater. As always, much more elegant (and expensive) than most PC water cooling projects, which typically involve adapters on water faucets and garden hoses.

Posted by scott at 12:28 PM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2004
But do Cicadas Stick to it?

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing the development of a new sort of glass that never needs to be cleaned with anything but water. By using a nano-scale coating of titanium oxide, natural chemical reactions are created that both prevent dirt from sticking and allow it to be washed away by rain. No soap required!

Posted by scott at 10:21 AM eMail this entry!
Port Out, Starboard Home

Fark linked up this Telegraph article that goes into detail over the origins of several different catchphrases used in the UK and the US. While the author is honest in saying we simply don't know where most of them come from, he does provide some fascinating information on how they were used, and how they changed, once they did make it onto the scene. Apparently excerpted from a book with the same title as this post.

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
June 07, 2004
And You People Think I'm the Only Alfa Nut in the World

Not only are there more of us out there, some of us are chicks:

When people find out that my husband and I own three Alfa Romeos, none of which we currently can drive, they assume that I’m simply tolerating his quirks. The truth is, I’m as obsessed as he is.
...
I discovered the adrenaline rush of maneuvering through slalom courses and putting my car into a skid to explore options for recovering. I never drove very fast, even though the [driving instruction] took place on a racetrack. But I learned the limits of my car and improved my driving skills. Most importantly, I had a blast doing it.

Ellen and I were once hardcore... all we owned were Alfas. If I'd had my garage then, we'd probably still just own Alfas. As it turned out, we just couldn't keep up with two of them going to $85/hr mechanics once or twice a month, so one had to go. To this day Ellen will tear up looking at pictures of our dearly departed Milano (although her reaction to the Alfa Romeo SZ, a sports car based on the Milano platform, bodes ill for our child's college fund). I can't help but think once we have a place to put one, another will take its place.

If all this sounds completely nutty to you, you obviously haven't driven an Alfa. My spider even put a smile on the face of an inveterate Honda nut. You may find them weird and too unreliable, and I'll accept that, but you'd have to be seriously lacking in the soul department to think they're not a barrel of fun.

Posted by scott at 08:38 PM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2004
For the Seige Engineer in Your Life

Mangonel.com, your one-stop-shop for all things, rrm.. "seige-engine-ish". From Mangonels to Scorpions, Ballistas to Onagers, they have it all for sale. Give the ultimate in 13th century warfare to your 21st century love!

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2004
Time for a Visit to Natural History

Fark linked up this description of the latest IMAX film, now playing at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History:

Ten years in the making, the new National Geographic film "Forces of Nature" opened at the museum Friday. It is also showing at other giant-screen theaters ... The film takes on three forces of nature - volcanoes, earthquakes and tornadoes.

Tornadoes. On Imax. I'm not sure Ellen will ever be the same.

Posted by scott at 09:38 AM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2004
Display Tech

Remember a few years ago a technology was developed that allowed manufacturers to create video displays with fancy ink jet printers? Well, we're finally starting to see some devices made with that process. 13", 15", even a massive 40" system are all in prototype at this time, with commercial products expected in 2006.

Other "thin" display techologies are expensive because they're really hard to make, especially at very large sizes. This technology holds the promise to become so cheap the displays could be mounted on ceilings and used for (infinitely flexible) lighting applications. The jobs of my two friends Damion and Joshua could get a lot more interesting in the years ahead.

Posted by scott at 12:12 PM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2004
Let's Twist Again!

Fark linked up this story and amazing picture of a couple's encounter with a "clear weather" tornado:

"It was so bizarre," Jo Anne said. "Here it was a bright, shiny, beautiful day and there's that tornado just sitting there in the middle of that field."

Ellen regularly prices out storm-chaser vacation packages every spring. I can honestly say that will be one vacation she goes on by herself!

Posted by scott at 08:22 AM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2004
Bugs for Cash

Unlike the "$5000 for a blue-eyed cicada", this offer of $10 per ounce of lightning bugs seems quite legitimate. I guess I now know how my nephew is going to make money this summer!

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
June 01, 2004
Time Passages

This pic of our Spider was taken in 1997, when it was just about as perfect as one could get without a ground-up restoration. The funny thing is, this picture was taken before nearly any of my friends's cars were even built, and at this point our spider is already 26 years old. How the hell did that happen?

Nowadays, it's still nice, just not this nice. But it could be again. That's what all those pennies I'm saving are for. Oh be quiet, I'm putting plenty away for Olivia's college, and Ellen's already got eyes and will have other "things" soon enough. Gotta have my own dreams just to make it all worthwhile, no?

Posted by scott at 09:18 PM eMail this entry!
May 28, 2004
Everybody Go Boom

This "Nuclear Weapon Design 101" article is really nifty as long as you don't think too much about it. Especially startling is it's matter-of-fact discussions of countries the mainstream media just think might have or have had (or have tried to build) nukes (North Korea, South Africa, Iraq). Also provides confirmation of something that's been hinted at in several books and documentaries I've read/seen over the years... there is essentially no upper limit to the destructive power of an H-bomb. Once a country figures out how to make one (the article implies only a few have, the usual suspects), a planet buster is as possible as a bunker buster.

Which is why I personally think the underground facilities Iran is beavering away at have a clock ticking on them somewhere. I'm hoping it's in a B-2 hangar, but at this point I'd be nearly as happy if it were an Israeli squadron of F-15s. At least they don't even pretend to care if they piss off Arabs.

Oh come on. Do you really think it's an accident we've been working on deep-penetration precision weapons for the past ten years? What, you think we want to just root out guys in caves with these things?

Posted by scott at 08:49 AM eMail this entry!
May 27, 2004
No, really! I'm not a Nerd!

speak and spell
You're a Speak & Spell!! You nerd, you. Just
because you were disguised as a toy doesn't
mean you weren't educational, you sneaky
bastard.

What childhood toy from the 80s are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

We had one of these things, mom would try anything to get us to spell and do math. The problem, of course, was not that we couldn't learn, it was that we were smarter than the teachers and didn't think learning from stupid people was productive*. Still, it was the closest we got to a computer until well into college/the Army, so we wore the batteries out anyway. 4 C cell batteries too as I recall.

Via Cobb

-----
* Yes, it was arrogant, and no, we weren't smarter than they were, at least in some important ways. We just knew more about things we thought were important. Yes, I know this bodes ill for all of us when Olivia enters school. That's why I'm never moving back into the sticks... at least in this area there's a decent chance of a school that will challenge her.

Posted by scott at 12:48 PM eMail this entry!
Nepal.com?

Slashdot linked up this BBCnews article detailing the successful efforts of a Nepalese man to connect the most remote parts of Nepal to the internet, and thereby to the world. By using wireless technologies, he was able to bypass inconveniences like horrific weather, a mostly vertical landscape, and the occasional rebel faction. Far from being suspicious, the villagers seem to be embracing the technology, using it to communicate with nearby villages, buy and sell livestock, and even exchange veterinary tips.

Posted by scott at 08:26 AM eMail this entry!
May 26, 2004
Area 51 News

Slashdot linked up this SecurityFocus tale of two Area 51 "watchers". It seems a few years ago two guys discovered the Air Force (or whoever it is that really controls the place) had planted motion detectors well out into the unrestricted public land that surrounds the test facility. By using radio receivers and GPS units, they were able to map a good portion of this network, which apparently is quite extensive.

Unfortunately to do this they needed to dig up and disassemble each detector to figure out its identifying number. The feds apparently turned a blind eye to it all until the men started inviting local journalists along to report on the gizmos. The reaction was quick, decisive, and typically under-handed; the FBI came knocking, a sensor "went missing", property was seized, the works. One of the men was actually charged with obstruction (later dropped after negotiations).

The sensors themselves are still out there, but have been tinkered with so they're a lot harder to find. Gotta love big brother!

Note: Also worth a look is Dreamland Resort, a gathering place for all sorts of "gleaned" information and photographs of the famous test facility.

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
Cheap Fees, No Mines

My brother is an inveterate golf nut, but I think even he may have some qualms about the Kabul Golf Club:

The first hole, a 371-yard (340-meter) par 4, drops sharply then flattens out across a barren, rocky stretch crossed by a gravel road.

Caddies are sent ahead to spot balls that otherwise easily disappear in the glaring sun on parched, near-white earth.

Supposedly they've cleared all the mines, but something tells me an out-of-bounds shot would probably be better left where it lands.

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
May 22, 2004
Chasing Wind

I've found this via Daffodil Lane.

Very very cool.

Posted by Ellen at 08:58 PM eMail this entry!
May 20, 2004
~ Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come for You ~

Wanted to introduce everyone to Call for Backup, an extremely interesting blog written by a police officer and his wife. Excellent point-of-view from the other side of the "thin blue line". To get you started, don't miss Cuffing Ducks:

When you’re a Cop wife, you get to know the Officers. One of them got in an accident on Charlie’s day off, so both of us raced to the hospital ... the injured Officer is taped to a board to hold his neck and back steady. He can’t move even to get his ID out for the nurse. “Damn ducks,” he says.

“What?” He looks like he’s got whiplash, but he sounds like he’s hallucinating.

“Those damn ducks. A woman was stopped in a forty mile an hour zone. A forth mile an hour zone on a blind hill. She’s stopped because there are ducks in the road. They’re just in the road, taking a break. I barely stopped in time. Obviously, not everyone did.“

The disposition of a wayward Subway sandwich was worth the price of admission alone.
Posted by scott at 11:45 AM eMail this entry!
May 19, 2004
Every Soldier a Sensor

AviationNow is carrying this report summarizing the latest gizmology to be studied by the army:

The Army plans to deploy a hand-held intelligence gathering and communication device that would allow each soldier to receive situational awareness information as well as transmit battlefield reports, Iwicki told NetDefense in an April 19 interview. "This would bridge the [information] gap ... Information goes directly to the soldier and the soldier's information goes directly to the enterprise."

Every day, in every way, we get closer and closer to a tricorder. If the damned things start to whistle when you turn them on I'm outta here.

Posted by scott at 02:08 PM eMail this entry!
Holy Blood, Holy History

Weirdlinks led us to De Sanguine Christi, a holy relic celebration in Bruges (Belgium, I think) that goes back to at least the thirteenth century. Seven hundred years of celebration ain't nothing to sneeze at folks. The relic itself is supposed to contain a cloth that was used to wipe Jesus's wounds (or something like that), and appears to have been looted from Constantinople when it was sacked by Crusaders early in the 13th century.

Blood, theft, peasants, knights, sacked cities and looted relics. God I love the middle ages!

Posted by scott at 10:03 AM eMail this entry!
F--- Me! Holy Smokes!

Now, as someone who is "skeered" of motorcycles in general (thanks mom!), I've always thought the guys who drive crotch rockets (super bikes) were, well, a little cracked. Who would want do go 200 mph on what is essentialy (to me) a glorified bar stool with handlebars?

Well, after Robert H. sent us this Quicktime video of some European dude actually going 200 mph, on the highway, in the dark, well, I still think crotch-rocketeers are a little cracked. But I can also see the appeal. I think the tach had a 10k RPM redline. Impressive. Most impressive.

Posted by scott at 08:37 AM eMail this entry!
May 18, 2004
Peas in a (Grocer's) Pod?

Looks like internet grocers are making a comeback:

Industry watchers say it's no longer a question of whether Internet grocery can be successful, but rather of how big it will become.

Our friends Kris & Damion (Kramion?) have been using Peapod for a long time, and they love it. Considering the fee on a $65 or greater purchase is $5.00, we might give this thing another look.

Via The Speculist

Posted by scott at 01:57 PM eMail this entry!
May 17, 2004
Think of it as "Anti-Rice"

Robert H. gets a stylishly fast no-prize for bringing us news of the latest Italian police car:

The latest addition to their fleet of cars is a Lamborghini sports car with a top speed of 192mph.

Not much room for holding 'perps, but in a car like that who cares?

Posted by scott at 10:59 AM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2004
MMm... Bubble Gum...

Let's all take a moment out of the busy, grim world to consider the wikipedia history of ABBA, everyone's 70's guilty pleasure. We had several ABBA recordings on 8-track when I was a kid, and to this day "Money Money Money" reminds me of deep woods off, little league baseball, and swimming pools. I'm sure most readers will go, "ABBA?!?... EEWwww!!!" but I defy you to resist humming the melody to "Chiquitita" if I put on the "Greatest Hits" CD.

Yeah, yeah, whatever, and I'm sure you never ever listen to pop music either.

Except when nobody's around.

Posted by scott at 08:36 PM eMail this entry!
May 15, 2004
Soldiers' Stories

Frank has his fifteenth "Our Military" post up, and as always it's very entertaining. For the more human side of it all, be sure to take a look.

Posted by scott at 10:16 AM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2004
That's... Well... it is!

Slashdot linked up the site for the next Pixar movie, called The Incredibles. Includes trailers. The teasers look very nifty, so let's hope this one lands squarely in the "definitely does not suck" box that pretty much all the other pixar stuff has gone in so far. Coming in November!

Posted by scott at 04:08 PM eMail this entry!
Insert "Queen" Joke Here

Mac users may already know this, but those who don't should find the story of how their computer nearly ended up being called the Apple Bycicle interesting. I wonder if by now they would have wheels of some sort if the name had stuck?

Posted by scott at 03:57 PM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2004
Another Great Way to Spend My Money

Having just jumped off my latest stint on the upgrade treadmill, I can't help but roll my eyes at the latest development in game tech. This time: hooking two PCI-Express graphics cards together and running them parallel. PC game old-timers will remember a similar solution from Voodoo at the dawn of 3D gaming (what, 1998?) It was expensive then, no doubt it will be expensive today. The potential for inspiring computer-geek-penis-envy is as yet unknown.

Posted by scott at 10:43 AM eMail this entry!
Codebreaker

Fark linked up this story about a new effort from the venerable Bletchly Park. For those who don't know, Bletchly Park was where a bunch of brilliant mathemeticians and engineers gathered to create the machines that broke Enigma, the encryption scheme the Nazis thought impregnable. The article's a little unclear, but it would appear the curators of the now popular tourist attraction will be using the same machines to try and crack a coded message on a private monument that supposedly contains directions to the Holy Grail.

Personally, I'm hoping it says something like, "Welcome to Castle AAAaaaaggg..."

Posted by scott at 08:10 AM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2004
Tanks for the Memories

I'm really surprised this didn't happen in the US first, but it would appear the UK has beaten us to the punch with the ultimate driving school:

Imagine the thrill of driving a 56 ton tank over a car, trying to beat the SAS woodland patrol challenge, firing a 18th century musket and mortar, or "swimming" an amphibious truck? Thats just a few of the activities offered by corporate action activity specialists TANKS-A-LOT.

Ellen's a complete road rage nutcase, so bad I won't let her drive the morning commute any more. If she actually got to crush cars in a tank, I'm not sure she'd ever be the same again!

Posted by scott at 02:38 PM eMail this entry!
The McTruth about the McDiet

Fark linked up another journalist's tale of going on his own "McDiet". Because he was sane in his menu choices (the other guy ordered the biggest meals he could find and was on a 5000 calorie per day diet), not only did he not get sick, he actually lost weight. The reaction of his female co-workers was telling:

[The revelation I lost weight] prompted the majority of women I told to issue the following statement, separately but in a clearly coordinated campaign: "I hate you." My reminders that they live longer and are better equipped to survive the famine that Americans appear to be stocking up for didn't earn me any points.

As one who has just been indirectly put on the South Beach (Long Beach? Malibu Beach? Life's a Beach?) diet, I can definitely sympathise.

Posted by scott at 09:45 AM eMail this entry!
May 11, 2004
Halo 2 News

Sad truth is we mostly use our x-box as a DVD and CD player nowadays. I expect that to change quickly when Halo 2 comes out, currently scheduled for November. In the meantime, slashdot lead us to this multiplayer preview of the game. Dual-weilding, "elites" as well as grunts, and that lovely, lovely plasma sword. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 04:14 PM eMail this entry!
May 10, 2004
Men And Boys

Now that I've got a system that can run the latest flight sims at max settings, I'm starting to get back into it all. Take a look at this thing. A 6-stick throttle quadrant should be enough to keep everyone happy. My problem is finding a place to put it all (well, that and the cash required). Maybe Damion and I can cook up "the ultimate gaming table".

Posted by scott at 10:39 AM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2004
Mmm... Fresh

Apropos of nothing, I'd just like to say the Athlon FX-53 64 bit processor rocks. My shambling mound of a computer finally broke something important, leading me to buy the "best and brightest" guts to create a new one. One processor, motherboard, display card, memory, and HD set later, and it's a screamer once again. Same skany-a** case though, complete with rust and dried cat pee. The lord seems to love the ATX form factor.

Now to get Linux on it... anyone got any tips on installing linux on a promise RAID array? So far I've only found "doesn't work". Very strange, considering these things seem to be growing in popularity.

Posted by scott at 12:48 PM eMail this entry!
May 07, 2004
Military Tales

Frank J has a new Our Military story up. This one includes a very nice letter about the civillian morale in the Green Zone, as well as a tale about how to get German kids to fetch you beer, and how to kill a Tiger tank.

Posted by scott at 12:49 PM eMail this entry!
A Suit Even Jeff Would Wear?

Sara G. gets a well-armored no-prize for bringing us news that the world-famous Ursus bear suits are on the market. Anyone watching Discovery, TLC, and/or National Geographic specials will quickly remember these things. For those who don't, they're the concotion of a Canadian who wanted to build the ultimate in bear protection. I can't recall if he ever managed to get a bear to attack one of them. It'd probably be pretty challenging... bears have a reputation for cutting and running if they think something fishy's going on.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2004
Abstraction

Photographers out there may find this nifty collection of "smoke" pictures interesting. I think at times it looks like candy, at others blown glass.

Posted by scott at 11:36 AM eMail this entry!
Zen and the Art of Automotive Creation

Show cars are lovely, lovely things, which of course we can't have. Or can we? This'll probably give Damion ideas about TVRs and welding equipment.

Posted by scott at 09:38 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2004
OS X Sinking the 8-ball?

The following is for computer geeks and/or Apple wonks.

Slashdot ran a story noting that Mono, the open-source project dedicated to creating a .Net framwork for Linux, just opened up its first beta release. What's even more interesting is Mono works with OSX (question 117).

So what? Well, if Mono succeeds in creating a code-portable implementation of .Net, then programs written for that architecture will function no matter what OS happens to be running. Microsoft is busily re-writing all sorts of code for the C#/CIT environment, and most ISVs have already swallowed the "blue pill" of .Net. In short, by adopting a Unix core Apple may have just hit a bank-shot that gaurantees itself "free" windows compatability on a scale undreamed of before.

Of course, all this will be happening in spite of Microsoft, not because of it. It all could easily be as much of a pipe dream as Java portability was back in '96. But still, fun to think about.

And no Damion, I'm still not buying a Mac. I just enjoy seeing cool technology getting a back-door advantage.

Posted by scott at 10:50 AM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2004
Fire Safe, Fire Savvy

Always read the comments. On a slashdot story about "what do you want to happen to your data when you die?" (they're geeks, and this is important to geeks), I found this comment all about how fireproof safes and data vaults work:

Document containers consist of two thin layers of steel, which have a hydrated compound stored between them; ... Upon heating, the hydrate gives up its water, flooding the inside of the container with water vapor.

Media containers should follow the same general rules (be careful where you put it, etc.), but work on a different principle. Last I checked (it could have changed), media containers use wood as insulation.

Lots of good advice too!

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
April 28, 2004
Head... Spinning...

Now that I've seen the Lego Escher, I've come to the conclusion Legos really can be used to build anything.

Posted by scott at 02:22 PM eMail this entry!
Anatomy of a Supercar

Slashdot linked up this "how stuff works" article on the Bugatti Veyron, a 1,000 hp supercar. A must-read for all the car nuts out there. Because it takes the "car-as-a-gizmo" angle, it's also good reading for the gadget crazies in the gallery (Joshua).

The Veyron is the SR-71 of road cars. Everything, and I mean everything, is superlative, first-in-class, and sometimes just plain nutty. However, Bugatti have a reputation for first-class vaporware cars, so personally I'll believe this thing is actually in production when I see one in all its carbon fiber glory. Otherwise it's yet another spectacular show car all the magazines spooge about periodically.

Update Slashdotters are a monument to the axiom, "those who know a lot about one thing assume they know a lot about everying." Some choice comments:

With the same tires, my car would probably stay neck and neck with this thing up to about 30 MPH.

As one who has actually tried to race a car that had 4x the horsepower, I can confidently tell you the only way you'll stay with this thing up to 30 mph is if it's towing you.

As for 1000+ hp, there are a ton of big block v8s making that power all over this country. Some making significantly more. A few even do it on pump gas

Ever tried to drive one on the street? Ever see one make that much power for more than 10 seconds? How about two hours? There's a reason why they tear down top fuel motors after every 1500 foot run.

"How do you keep a passenger car on the road at 250+ MPH?"

The answer for most people is: you don't.

Finally, one I can agree with.

Posted by scott at 09:26 AM eMail this entry!
April 27, 2004
A HUD in Your Head

Slashdot linked up this BBCNews article detailing the latest in commercial display technology:

US firm Microvision has developed a system that projects lasers onto the retina, allowing users to view images on top of their normal field of vision.

Already in use at some Honda dealerships, apparently it results in a 40% time savings for their mechanics, who no longer need to look up diagnostic info or manual procedures. Of course, it's expensive right now, but that will change.

Apparently this tech has been in use a long time in the military. It seems this is the technology that makes the monocle used by Apache helicopter gunners work. I'd not heard that before, makes me think it was classified for awhile.

Posted by scott at 10:29 AM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2004
Highway History

Fark linked up this nifty site summarizing the history of the US's "three digit" interstates. Bypasses and interchanges and mixing bowls, oh my!

Yeah, I know, I need to get out more.

Posted by scott at 09:10 AM eMail this entry!
April 24, 2004
Toilet to the Stars?

Ron gets a no-prize he can read in the bathroom for bringing us one of the world's coolest toilets. Toilet/bidet no less. It even knows to use more water when you've... erm... had a thoughtful moment. Put one of these and a telephone in our bathroom and Ellen would never leave the house.

Posted by scott at 01:06 PM eMail this entry!
What Would Richie Do?

Slashdot linked up this e-bay auction of... wait for it... a custom Star Destroyer built for Star Wars 4" action figures. It's not to scale, but it reminds me a lot of the other Star Wars playsets I had as a kid. Except it's gi-normous.

Richie's moving to Long Island soon. New house, more room. [[[[[This is Not the Memorabilia You Are Looking for]]]

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2004
Back to the Future, 80s Style

Fark linked up this impressively detailed full-size replica of the "Back to the Future" DeLorean. Even still has the stainless steel bodywork, which as I understand it is becoming increasingly rare. Why? You can't do conventional body repairs on unpainted stainless steel.

Posted by scott at 11:27 AM eMail this entry!
April 21, 2004
Halo Update

Fans of Halo still have to wait until Q4 (hopefully) to play the new Halo 2. In the meantime, gamespot has these screenshots to whet your appetite.

Posted by scott at 05:06 PM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2004
Well, at Least we Know These Won't Suck

Slashdot linked up this site providing new details on the upcoming boxed set of the original Star Wars movies. Gargantuan amounts of bonus materials are, of course, included.

We barely have time to watch a movie at all, let alone the bonus stuff. Maybe when Olivia can sit still long enough to watch the movie with us?

Posted by scott at 11:50 AM eMail this entry!
Selectify Your Life

Damion gets a switchable no-prize for bringing us this nifty little optical switch gizmo. Perfect for anyone with a lot of digital gear (DVDs, X-boxes, etc.), but only one optical "IN" on their stereo.

Posted by scott at 10:38 AM eMail this entry!
April 16, 2004
Music Paleo-Tech

Think CDs with "bonus" computer material like videos or graphics is a new thing? Think again:

There were a handful of records released in the late 70's and early 80's that contained computer programs as part of the audio. This is totally insane, and totally great.

Indeed. I don't even remember the mention of something like this, and it would've been something I'd remember. Anyone ever get one of these albums?

Posted by scott at 12:57 PM eMail this entry!
~ Because It's only a Paper Disk ~

Forgot to link this up yesterday... Sony has come up with a new technology that allows optical disks to be made out of paper. They'll be cheaper (well, for the manufacturer anyway) and apparently a lot more colorful, but I'm not sure what other benefits they bring. Oh, and they'll probably rot if you don't keep them dry.

Posted by scott at 08:14 AM eMail this entry!
April 15, 2004
Old (Digital) Friends, Long Gone...

Damion gets a no-prize clocked at a speedy 1 megaherz for reminding us about The Computer Museum, the place to go if you're interested in old PCs. Like, for instance, the Apple 1.

Posted by scott at 03:37 PM eMail this entry!
New Alfa

Rumor has it Road & Track seem to think this may be the car Alfa returns to the US with. Twin turbo 400+ hp sedan anyone?

No, I don't think it's likely either. Even it was, lord only knows how much it would cost!

Posted by scott at 09:29 AM eMail this entry!
April 14, 2004
Lost Time

Take a second to go down memory lane by perusing the Wikipedia entry for "Land of the Lost"

This series scared the crap out of me when I was six. Those Sleestaks were damned creepy and the Tyrannasaur would make me jump. Yet I couldn't stop watching it, I guess because of the sense of mystery and curiosity of what, exactly, was going on. It's funny how I remembered things about the series only as I read about them (time pyramids, control centers, lost cities, etc.) Sort of like going through an old junk drawer and finding stuff you never even realized you'd lost.

Posted by scott at 02:19 PM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2004
I Have Seen the Geek, and He is Us

Slashdot linked up this article, in which mainstream media suddenly figures out (again) the weird kids who got beat up a lot in high school seem to be running the show nowadays. This is one revolution I can say I've witnessed first hand. When I was, oh, say, 7 years old, all we had for science fiction or fantasy was Star Trek re-runs. No, really, that was it, and the occasional really freaky six-show series (Space 1999).

Now I look around and see it everywhere. Better still, what I use to see it is often at least as sci-fi. Today you can have the entire collected works of whatever composer, director, or even TV producer taking up the space of one bookshelf, in a format that will never ever wear out. If that's not science fiction I don't know what is.

Unfortunately the article devolves into typical elitist "but why do they have to be so weird? It's unhealthy!" pap. Which just goes to prove those who self-identify as geeks don't always deserve the title.

Posted by scott at 01:04 PM eMail this entry!
April 12, 2004
Diver Down

Jeff gets his second no-prize of the day for bringing us news of the Navy's new "artificial reef" program. Among the first "subjects" will be the USS Oriskany, a large Korea/Vietnam era aircraft carrier. They're going to sink it in 220 feet of water, which is pretty darned deep for a recreational dive. However, carriers are pretty damned tall things. If it settles on its keel the top of the superstructure may be appreciably closer.

Posted by scott at 02:25 PM eMail this entry!
That's One Big "Kaboom"

Jeff's gets a no-prize rocketing down from the sky for bringing us this celestial impact calculator. Want to know just what would happen if, say, a rock the size of your car were to hit the earth? You'll find out here!

I ran a simulation with a 1 mile across dense object traveling at asteroid speeds hitting at a 35 degree angle on semi-porous rock. The result was a crater 15.3 miles in diameter. This was rather unfortunate for me, as I'd placed my virtual self only 1 km away. But boy, what a view!

Posted by scott at 11:53 AM eMail this entry!
The Shape of Things to Come?

Fark linked up this Toyota concept vehicle that recently premiered. A 4wd gas-electric hybrid, with pure electric drive up front and gas/electric drive in back. Very interesting, but still "just a concept".

Personally I am very interested in the Pontiac Solstice. If GM really can bring it in for $20,000, they won't be able to build them fast enough. Add a supercharger for an extra $3-$5k and who knows, maybe it'll turn out to be a Trans-Am killer?

Posted by scott at 10:02 AM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2004
PEEPS!!

Now for some more Peep fun!

Make your very own Peeps!

Posted by Ellen at 01:49 PM eMail this entry!
Peeps In Space!

In honor of Easter, I bring you two awsome Peep games.

Enjoy!~

Posted by Ellen at 01:45 PM eMail this entry!
April 09, 2004
Senses... Tingling...

For those of you who don't watch "the Donald's" TV show, we'd like to let you know that the new Spiderman 2 trailer is out. It sure does look pretty, let's hope the writing is as good as it was last time!

Posted by scott at 12:11 PM eMail this entry!
April 08, 2004
Be Your Own Capt. Nemo

Slashdot linked up the Scuba Doo a personal watercraft a-la soggy Segway. Manufacturer claims a 2.5 knot top speed, which I think is about how fast a person swims. SRP is claimed at $13,246, which is none too shabby. Compression sickness (the bends) comes free of charge I guess.

Posted by scott at 09:56 AM eMail this entry!
April 07, 2004
Which Rock Chick Are You?


Which Rock Chick Are You?

Who is this person?

Posted by Ellen at 09:03 PM eMail this entry!
Score One for Big Brother

Slashdot linked up this article detailing (sort of) what is the first acknowledged "get" directly attributable to the NSA, one of the more secretive intelligence organizations in the US:

Citing anonymous sources in the British intelligence community, The Sunday Times reported that an e-mail message intercepted by NSA spies precipitated a massive investigation by intelligence officials in several countries that culminated in the arrest of nine men in Britain and one in suburban Orleans, Ont. -- 24-year-old software developer Mohammed Momin Khawaja, who has since been charged with facilitating a terrorist act and being part of a terrorist group.

Well, since the NSA monitors everything else, I guess I'll just say good job, and quit reading my e-mail!

Posted by scott at 12:48 PM eMail this entry!
April 06, 2004
GRM Challenge Results

The Grassroots Motorsports 2004 challenge was run recently, and an Alfa spider came in 10th, with a 1st overall in the autorcross. Woot!

For those who don't know, the GRM challenge is a contest that requires you to create a car for (this year) $2004 which will compete in a concours (must look pretty), drag race (must scoot), and autocross (cars turn ya know). Winners in each event are given points, and the one with the most points at the end of the weekend wins.

The Alfa entry was a 78 spider prepared by Michigan area Alfisti. It was mightily "non-stock", complete with a turbo. Eric Storhok, a team member, posted a colorful account, quoted in its entirety in the "more" section of this story.

Considering there's no real limit on what you can do with your car, as long as you stay on budget, this definitely sounds like something me and my Honda-nut friend Damion might take a crack at some day.

As a quick reminder- in 2001/02, we built a '78 Spider to compete in the GRM $2002 Challenge, this car was an interesting project, and we added a turbo to the engine to boost the power. 3 years later, this was the last competition for the Turbolare Spider. The GRM Challenge is a competition where you can spend $200x on the entire car, compete in a drag race, autocross, and concours. Highest points wins....

It was an interesting weekend.

We targeted a third consecutive top 10 finish in the GRM 2004 Challenge with the turbo Spider, and thought we could do it pretty confidently. Swapped a cam, different rear end, polishing, and some metal welded in should help us in all 3 events- drag race, concours, and autocross. Things started well, Ed, Ines and I prepared the car for tech and the concours, while Jim installed the data acquisition unit that we were experimenting with for Bonneville. Short note- that worked great, we are good for the salt. Did the concours first- the judges really liked the car, so we hoped for another decent score. Not sure about top score, as the bar has been clearly raised over the years. It turned out that event with the improvements, our score dropped from '03. That is how nice the top cars look now. Took a run on the strip- burn the old rubber off the tires. 14.94- slow, and Ed reported the car felt flat. I figured it was running way too rich, but that was since all previous data acquisition had failed to record the actual a/f. Second run, data acq system up and running- 15... seconds. Running REALLY rich, and recorded about 10:1 a/f. We backed that off a lot for the 3rd run, best estimate for 12-12.5:1. Got it spot on as it turned out, and it really didn't matter.... As Ed shifted into second, the car didn't go, from my perspective, I thought he missed 2nd gear- no big deal- 17 seconds, and something like 95-95 mph trap speed. The engine was running well, apparently. So I go off in search of a drill bit to modify a homemade boost adjustment tool. Ed makes it back to the pits, and reports that we do not have 1st or 2nd gear. Not good. We figure the bolt on the shift fork sheared, which is somewhat common, and decide to put it in second and leave it there for the autocross. To do that, we need the drain plug off, and a long screwdriver... But as the oil finished draining, Ed reports "uh, there are gear parts here." So our hearts sink even lower. Jim crawls under the car to discover the 1-2 syncro has basically exploded- a "I've never seen that happen" failure. Now we are forced to swap the transmission. Thankfully, I keep bringing a spare to all the challenges- mostly to hope we don't need it. It's 3pm, we were supposed to do a photo shoot at 4pm with other "Classic Motorsports" type cars, and we need to be off the parking lot at 5:30 since there is another event that night. As we start, things progress really quickly, to the point where we don't go to the shoot, and keep working. 5pm, we are done!!! When we get back to the hotel, Jim buttens up few other details. Holy cow, I can't believe we are back in the race! The side story- this "spare" was the original trans in the car, which actually has parts deep in the box- the bolt holding the shit tower fell into the box, which is why we swapped the box in back in Jan- so the "new" box had all of 5-6 miles on it when it blew up, and the spare had parts floating around. Gotta run anyway... The autocross was a blast of a course, big sweeping turns, and one slalom. Looked like a 100% power course, but it was more about balance an stick as it turned out. First run- 91 reported seconds- uh- something is wrong. Re-run #1. High 55 seconds- but the car is badly bouncing off the re-limiter in second gear coming out of the big sweeper. Run 2- barely faster- shifting to 3rd didn't help much... Run 3- 7600 rpm limit helped some, low 55's. Go for broke- what the heck- 8000 rpm limit. I'll remind you that this is totally stock internals- bearings, rods, valves and springs- just lighter pistons with the lower compression, and almost 14psi boost. Run 4- couple of bobbles, but I get red flagged since a car spun. Re-run 4- as I'm sitting at the start line, I see a red/black Talon get a 54.5. Didn't faze me much, as I thought low 54's/ high 53's would be FTD. On the run, the car is really hot (220+ F), and it hic-ups 3 times. 54.442 seconds- not bad, and some ovations from the spectators. Let the car cool, and go for the last run- got a really good one going, but I messed up the last corner just a hair for a 54.9. I park the car, and figure someone will beat that for sure. For the afternoon, I didn't watch much, as a friend of mine asked me to run his mid-engined V8 Corvair. That was a blast to drive, let me tell you! 327 small block, and it was darn nicely balanced. Managed a 57.4 clean, but hit 2 cones on a 56.5 run- needs some brakes. Fun, fun, fun. Another friend offers to let me drive his big block Mustang, but by the time I get back, he's got one run left after letting one of the pro drivers take a few runs- since he's got a good time, I persuade him to take the last run. By this time, Ines catches up with me- she is looking really nervous. It's 3pm, and still nobody has been faster than my 54 second run. You are kidding, right? There is one car I expect to beat us, the Silver Bullet Omni GLHS that is very fast, and is driven by a guy who has run the car for 4 years now. But I hear they are struggling with the big sweeper- too much power... Ines tells me their third run was a 54.8, which made her very nervous. So we watch their last run- small braking bobble coming out of the big sweeper, some hesitancy coming through the last corner- 55 seconds... I think we did it! FTD in a turbo Alfa AFTER a transmission swap!!! We were not sure until the banquet, but yes, we got FTD. Still figured no way for top 10, but amazingly, we did finish an unofficial 10th!! Final results will be posted today. The Spider will be officially retired after our drivers school on the 18th. Thanks a bunch to Jim, Ed, and Ines for this year, and Matt Gerhart, Jeff Koncsol, Nathan Fogg, and Charles Hailey for helping build the car!

Posted by scott at 09:01 AM eMail this entry!
April 05, 2004
Puts the "Boom" in Boom Box

Presenting the ultimate "hi-fi" home room:

SUBWOOFER horns are built underneath the floor in a cavity of 1 meter deep. Each horn is driven by 8 x 18" (47 cm) woofers. A total of 16 woofers.

A particularly extreme version of "build the room around the gear". Still, fun to look at, if rather tacky (to me) in execution.

Posted by scott at 11:53 AM eMail this entry!
April 04, 2004
Tetsuo!!!

Fark linked up a Japanese language site that has a full-sized functional "Akira" bike on it. Check out the path on that chain drive.

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2004
TCB baby, TCB

There's campaign ads, and then there's campaign ads. Those of you who've sent various wacky anti-Bush ads my way are, of course, obliged to sit through the whole thing.

Posted by scott at 01:06 PM eMail this entry!
More Than Meets the Eye?

Robert H. gets a giant robotic no-prize for bringing us Vehicle to autonomous biped robot conversion for the Mini Cooper r50. That's full size Mini to you, bud.

The photos and videos are amazing, but there's definitely a credibility gap for me. It is quite possible, even easy if you know the right people, to create all of this in CGI. With a really good rig it's just about impossible to tell the difference between the real and the virtual. Bottom line: until I see this thing in full-size, full-motion video I'm going to call it an entertaining hoax.

Posted by scott at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
March 30, 2004
Well Why Not?

We're already something like #2 when you search for "women mechanics" on google, so I figured this story about two high school girls building their own demolition derby cars would fit right in:

Kofa High School senior [Lindsey Strickland] and her childhood friend, Jessica Jorajuria, have spent hours of free time working on their cars to compete again at the Yuma County Fair's Demolition Derby.

Now, personally I'd prefer Olivia to go into go-kart racing and then become the first female F-1 champion, but that's just me. Her biggest problem would be keeping the old man out of the car.

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2004
I Got My Pencil

Robert H. gets an intricately carved no-prize for bringing us pencil carving, artwork done using one of the most common tools in the world.

Posted by scott at 02:20 PM eMail this entry!
Calling all Cars

My alfa digest buddies linked up GrandPrix.com, the most comprehensive Formula 1 site I've found to date. News, features, schedules, and a very nice encyclopedia/history section round out their extensive collection. Recommended for any race fan who enjoys seeing race cars turn right occasionally.

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2004
Ghost Town

Slashdot linked up Ghost Town, the pictorial story of a Russian woman who enjoys riding her motorcycle through the "dead zone" around Chernobyl. Yes, that Chernobyl. Apparently as long as you stay on the roads, and you don't spend the night, it's quite safe to traverse nowadays. That doesn't mean I'm going to do it any time soon, but it does make for some fascinating pictures.

Posted by scott at 06:08 PM eMail this entry!
March 25, 2004
Peacock Time

Jeff gets a no-prize in living color for letting us know today is the 50th anniversary of color television. I'm not quite old enough to remember an all black-and-white TV world, but I do distinctly recall NBC's peacock animation proudly declaring late-60s shows to be "in living color".

I can remember being completely shocked when I found out my parents could remember a time before TV. TV was always there... it was outrageous to think of it as transitory. Of course, that was just one shocking thing. Olivia will probably be amazed that her folks can remember any number of "times before"... internet, CDs, flat TVs, etc.

Posted by scott at 11:52 AM eMail this entry!
March 23, 2004
Wiki on My Town

Interesting that nearly everything there is to know about the town I grew up in can be summed up in a single encyclopedia entry:

As of the census of 2000, there are 5,238 people, 1,977 households, and 1,399 families residing in the city.

I went to college in Fayetteville, and my mom and dad live in Sherwood and Searcy, respectively.

Ellen's situation is a lot more complicated. You'll have to get her to explain it.

Posted by scott at 01:21 PM eMail this entry!
Paper Power!

Presenting FreePaperToys.com, your one-stop-shop for hundreds of miniature paper car patterns. All you need is a printer, some card stock, scissors, and glue. It'll probably be the closest I'll ever get to a 156.

Posted by scott at 07:59 AM eMail this entry!
March 22, 2004
Shogun!

Went digging around and found Wildtoy's Shogun Warriors page, the source for info on one of the neater toys Mattel came out with in the mid-70s.

My brother and I played with these things constantly. Rember this was well before anime was well known or popular in the US, so while giant missle-firing robots were almost passe in Japan, there just wasn't anything quite like them over here. I found out recently my brother bought his son two of them off e-bay, so the cycle has turned again.

Now if I can just find a ROM in really good condition...

Posted by scott at 01:19 PM eMail this entry!
March 21, 2004
Crunch-y Turtles

Cindy gets an enormous, mean-looking no-prize for bringing us the story of Crunch, the 165lb, 150 year-old snapping turtle. Fear the turtle!

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2004
Wikki Wikki Wikki

If you haven't heard of or used Wikipedia, do yourself a favor and head over there right now. I'd heard of "the world's largest public encyclopedia" before, but didn't bother with it until just a week ago. Now I can't stay away from the darned thing. If basic, or even detailed, research is what you need to do, it's one helluva place to start. Highly recommended.

Posted by scott at 12:57 PM eMail this entry!
How do You Say, "Kick Ass" in Japanese?

Casshern looks to be a very high-gloss Japanese action flick, if I'm reading the numbers right due out this April. Seems to have something to do with a distant future, warriors, gardens, robots, and swords. In other words, a typical SF anime flick, only this time live-action.

If Damion doesn't have a bootleg Japanese copy of it within a month of its DVD release, I'm going to take away his Anime merit badge. ;)

Posted by scott at 11:05 AM eMail this entry!
March 17, 2004
I Personally Like the Name "Shoe-nan" Better

Help Bigwig's family member crush her rivals, drive them before her, and hear the lamentations of their women by heading out and saving yourself 40% on your next Reebok purchase. Ellen's already drooling...

Posted by scott at 02:28 PM eMail this entry!
March 16, 2004
The Sound of One Lawyer Yapping?

The headline says it all: Blogosphere: 1, New York Times: 0. I actually was a bit worried the NYT might have enough resources to come after all us bomb throwers, so I weasled our mirror a bit more than anyone else. But I did leave it up, for whatever good it did.

Once I learned TND had got itself a lawyer, I had a feeling it'd turn out this way. Like all bullies, once someone stood up to them they backed down quickly.

Posted by scott at 11:55 AM eMail this entry!
Turbines to Speed

Damion gets a donut-shaped no-prize for bringing us the G2IC turbo guide, a one-stop-shop for all questions regarding turbocharging a specific sort of Honda. Linked here because it also contains some good general information on turbochargers, as well as the implications of installing them into any street car motor.

Posted by scott at 10:01 AM eMail this entry!
March 14, 2004
Our Next Home?

Also from Slashdot, news of a decomissioned Titan missle complex for sale. Amazingly, more than a dozen of these things were located in Arkansas, of all places. My dad's first job with rockets was working with them back in the early '60s.

A tale from my dad's endless archive (note! Entertainment only, factual basis always questionable!):

Sometimes they'd open the silo roof to do certain kinds of maintenance on the missle. Whenever that happened, they'd hang a big net under the opening to catch anything like deer, racoons, enlisted men, or other stuff that might fall in. It was almost exactly like what they have under the trapeze at the circus. All sorts of things still managed to make it past the net, so cleaning the bottom of the silo (which was over 150 feet deep) was considered the worst job on the base.

There was an airman I remember, named Ernie I think, who was always getting in trouble with practical jokes the officers didn't appreciate. One day a general arrived to inspect the site while the roof was open. Well, this airman saw him and started screaming how he (the private) was gonna end it all. "End it all!!!"

So this general turns around to see what all the noise is about only to watch this airman make a textbook swandive into the open mouth of the silo and disappear screaming. Of course, everyone ran to the edge of the silo, only to see Ernie safely bouncing in the net, laughing his head off.

From that point until Ernie left the base, he was a permanent member of the "clean the crap out of bottom of the silo" team.

An extra-creepy exploration of a completely abandoned silo can be found here.

Posted by scott at 05:08 PM eMail this entry!
March 12, 2004
Eat Your Heart Out, Mavis Beacon

Well, I got to level 11 before this nifty typing game crapped out on me, but I was definitely hitting my limits. Kinda gives you insight into how you type. For instance, my problem was not hitting the keys themselves, but reading the word and then spelling it. If I knew intuitively how to spell the word, I went a lot faster than if I was just making the letters disappear.

See! All those years of typing on chat rooms & AIM paid off after all!

Posted by scott at 02:05 PM eMail this entry!
Blogosphere to New York Times: DROP DEAD

Big media (in the form of the New York Times) recently fired a warning shot across the bow of the blogosphere:

I am copyright counsel to The New York Times Company.
It has come to our attention that you have posted on your web site at www.thenationaldebate.com what you are calling your "faux Times Columnist Corrections Page." [...] By using The Times's name, logos, advertisments, live links, design and layout, you are blatantly infringing upon our exclusive rights under trademark and copyright laws [...] I must insist that you remove the page from public display immediately and confirm to us within twenty-four hours that you will not use our materials in the future.

Which, thanks to the lovely DMCA (a product of the Clinton administration we might add), they have the power to make stick:

[Verio, the host of theNationalDebate, have] received the attached notification of copyright infringement regarding your website, www.thenationaldebate.com. [As required in the DMCA] Verio will suspend your account within 3 days if the offending material is not removed.

Which just means the New York Times is going to re-learn the same lesson taught to the Scientologists: the Internet moves at the speed of light:


Rooftop Report | View The Banned New York Times Columnist Correction Page Here
Silflay Hraka | View The Banned New York Times Columnist Correction Page Here
Classical Values | View The Banned New York Times Columnist Correction Page Here
Hobbsonline | View The Banned New York Times Columnist Correction Page Here

And, well, here too.

The parallels between this event and those surrounding one Martin Luther are quite striking. Then, as now, a single individual posted a set of grievances against a powerful institution claiming rights to "the truth" in a public place. Then, as now, that institution used its size, power, and wealth in an attempt to muzzle this voice and destroy all evidence of the complaints. Then, as now, a new technology allowed copies of those complaints to be spread across the world literally faster than they could be destroyed (scattered on the wind like so many dandelion seeds).

Is the revolution here? Is it now?

Let's find out...

No increase in the ability of mankind to communicate has ever resulted in a loss of liberty.

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
March 09, 2004
Purity Unbound

So, what's your libertarian purity rating? Yesterday I got a 53, today I got a 49, which puts me solidly into "not-quite-wacko-but-can-see-it-from-here" territory. This, of course, should be of little surprise to the yellow-dog peanut gallery. Now if I could just talk PJ O'Rourke into running for president...

Posted by scott at 10:58 AM eMail this entry!
March 07, 2004
But Will It Shoot Across the Screen?

Fark linked up this article describing the creation of a real "Legend of Zelda" sword. For $3300, you too can be the biggest gaming geek in your neighborhood. Funny thing is, I can think of at least three people I know (not me) who'd spend it if they had it.

Posted by scott at 03:39 PM eMail this entry!
March 06, 2004
Playing With Time

Watch how someone ages over several decades.

Very neat!

Posted by scott at 02:33 PM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2004
~ It's only a paper PC/Sitting under a...~ Waitaminute...

Slashdot linked up this story about a cardboard computer that's already in limited use in Europe. With only 32k of memory, it's functionality is rather limited, but can still do a lot of useful work (mostly inventory and warehouse stuff). However, it should be remembered there was a time when people thought 32k of memory was a luxurious waste.

Not that I can remember such a time. I've just, you know, heard rumors.

Posted by scott at 09:37 AM eMail this entry!
March 04, 2004
Pothole Killah!

Fark linked up this WJLA news story about the latest in road repair technology, the pothole killer. This truck-mounted system promises to repair roads at least twice as fast as the previous crew-based method, while saving money by not needing said crew. This being government, it'll probably still require four people to drive the truck, but at least three of them won't be standing around. Much.

Posted by scott at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
March 03, 2004
A Supercar Even a Treehugger Would Love?

Jeff gets a hybrid no-prize for bringing us news and photos of the upcoming Toyota hybrid sports car. 400+ horsepower and you get to use the HOV lanes too. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 03:36 PM eMail this entry!
And You Thought "Body Snatchers" was Just a Movie

Hope, Arkansas is not just "the town where Bill was born." Turns out it is also the home of giagantor watermelons:

The watermelons sold to our customers weigh from 130 to 190 pounds. Larger watermelons are usually kept for competitions and for seeds. The variety that reaches the greatest size is the Carolina Cross and we have grown one as large as 260 pounds.

A watermelon that's literally bigger than my girl, the watermelon freak. Will my life ever be the same? Could this make Ellen actually consider moving to Arkansas?

Nah...

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
March 02, 2004
Got Skillz?

Ninja Skills, a simple little video game to burn the last hour of the workday with. Reminds me of Xevious, sort of.

Posted by scott at 03:21 PM eMail this entry!
March 01, 2004
How Old Were You When...

Pat gets a graduated no-prize for bringing us The Age Gauge. Fun: putting your own birthday in. Funner: putting 1776 as your birth year.

Yeah, ok, I'm easily amused.

Posted by scott at 02:08 PM eMail this entry!
February 26, 2004
Chunkin!

Liz Ditz gets a no-prize fired from a cannon for bringing us RoxyFilms' "Punkin' Chunkin'", an on-line documentary about, well, chunkin' punkins!

Ellen rolls her eyes, but I think a hundred-foot-long air cannon that can shoot a pumpkin a mile is just damned cool. Now that's a potential father-daughter project! :)

Posted by scott at 10:42 AM eMail this entry!
February 25, 2004
It's Our Damned Website, We'll Link to What We Want

Presenting Weapon of Choice, one of the coolest music videos ever made. Because I say so, that's why. I mean, who'd've thought Christopher Walken could dance?

No-prize to the first person to note the Dune reference in the song.

Posted by scott at 01:02 PM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2004
Memorial

Iraq, the Model lead us to what may be the very first Iraqi memorial to the liberation of their country:

Kalat [an Iraqi sculptor] worked on [the project] night and day for several months. To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms.

I find it quite moving, but I wish they'd used a better picture of it in the article.

Posted by scott at 12:50 PM eMail this entry!
February 22, 2004
Explanations, Get Yer Piping Hot Explanations Here!

Ok, I'm sure most of you knew what the de-gauss button on your monitor was for since you were 12. Well, I knew that it made the screen go all weird for a second, but I didn't know what that did for the monitor. Now, I finally know! Weird that the earth's magnetic field causes monitors to go all wonky, but there ya go.

Posted by scott at 04:53 PM eMail this entry!
February 20, 2004
Go Find Your Dead

Doing a slight bit of research for the article below, I found FindaGrave.com, a searchable database containing the locations of thousands of graves of the famous and not-so-famous. It was there that I discovered, for example, that while we know where Eleanor of Aquitaine was buried, her bones are long gone. Stupid French Revolution...

Posted by scott at 08:06 AM eMail this entry!
February 19, 2004
It's Like the CAF, but for Tanks

Liz Ditz gets a no-prize made from a tank tread for bringing the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation to our attention:

Our goal is to acquire, restore, and interpret the historical significance of 20th and 21st century military vehicles. Domestic and foreign combat vehicles such as tanks, armored cars, self-propelled artillery, and other technically interesting mobile platforms are the focus of the collection.

They don't actually say their stuff is operational (the parts that make them roll around, not the parts that blow stuff up), but it sure does look like it from the pictures. She told us about them because our previous note about the F-18 at auction reminded her about the MVTF folks's ocassional problems with de-militarization (apparently it all turned out OK).

Posted by scott at 03:11 PM eMail this entry!
Real-Life Transformers?

Remember those wacky trucks we featured last year? Well, they're back! This time with cool night shots.

Again, not my particular cup o' tea, but I can definitely appreciate the skill & craftsmanship that went into their making. I may not understand it, but I can appreciate it.

Posted by scott at 12:43 PM eMail this entry!
TiVo to the Rescue!

Slashdot linked up this NYTimes article detailing the effort that went into designing the TiVo remote. Gives a very nice summary of just how difficult it can be to achieve a good design, even on a common product.

We're on our second remote... the first one finally just wore out.

Posted by scott at 08:26 AM eMail this entry!
February 18, 2004
See! I Have had No Life for a Very Long Time

How many 80s rock songs can you pick from just one line of lyric? Me, I got 13 out of 15, shoulda got 14 but second-guessed myself. Teenagers with no social skills have little else to do but watch MTV and listen to the radio. C'mon, let's throw a little pity party for me! :)

Posted by scott at 03:19 PM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2004
GOOOOD Morning Iraq!

Instapundit leads us to remember that not only does Adam Curry have a blog, but he also happens to be blogging from Iraq.

For those of you who don't know (Nina, and probably most people younger than 25... gah...) Adam Curry was one of the "second generation" MTV VJs. Remarkable for his towering height and amazing hair, he not only did MTV but also European TV and US radio. Apparently now he's based in Amsterdam again, doing a popular radio show, and (obviously) blogging from Iraq. Pretty neat!

Posted by scott at 10:19 AM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2004
USO! USO!

The Post gets an AMCGLTD hat-trick by running this third article on the latest USO tour of Iraq. One of the more surprising headliners? Al Franken:

Franken worked up a Saddam imitation so good (he'd borrowed a costume from "Saturday Night Live") that [country music singer Darryl] Worley says it was both hysterically funny and almost frightening.

I wonder if they'll film it?

Posted by scott at 10:48 AM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2004
As Long as It Doesn't Show Up on HSN

There's diamonds, and then there's diamonds:

The heart of that burned-out star with the no-nonsense name [BPM 37093] is a sparkling diamond that weighs a staggering 10 billion trillion trillion carats.

It's been hypothesised that Jupiter and perhaps Saturn have gigantic spheres of diamond inside them at the level where pressure and heat would create such things. Arthur C. Clarke included the idea in his "2001" series (2061), I'm sure it's been used elsewhere.

At that density and size, it should be noted, the thing has a gravitational field about three thousand times stronger than the earth's.

Posted by scott at 08:52 AM eMail this entry!
February 13, 2004
Balloon Fun

Joshua gets a no-prize made out of a water balloon for bringing us these high-speed films of said balloons being punctured in microgravity. I dunno why they wanted to do it, but it sure does look neat!

Posted by scott at 12:04 PM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2004
Fun with Junk

While I wouldn't necessarily call this stuff "amazing", it is pretty cool. I wonder how much the Jenga costume weighed...

Posted by scott at 08:00 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2004
See! See! Games Aren't Useless!

Slashdot linked up this interesting Wired article detailing efforts by government agencies to make processes more inclusive by including methods and ideas worked out in the online gaming community. Turns out the two processes have some stuff in common, mainly unruly, unreasonable, passionate participants all trying to change everything at once.

Posted by scott at 08:58 AM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2004
Crocodile Smiles

Just how many fake smiles can you pick out?

I thought I'd be killer at this thing, but since there are 20 I ended up relying on intuition as much as anything else. Definitely harder than it sounds. I still managed 16 out of 20.

Posted by scott at 03:43 PM eMail this entry!
~To-may-to/To-mah-to~, the Islamic Version

Raed gives us a nice, irreverant look at the whole Shi'a/Sunni split. This is another one of those things I've known about for so long it never ocurred to me to write about it. You people need to ask about this stuff more often!

Posted by scott at 01:17 PM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2004
Hi, My Name is Scott, and I'm an American

Come with us and join Americans Anonymous:

Yes, unfortunately, I must confess the truth, there's no use denying it: I'm an American. That means I am not intelligent enough to realize the gravest dangers threatening mankind today are Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and a rodent named Mickey. It means I am too simple-minded to realize that modern European society represents the pinnacle of brotherhood (or is on the path thereto). It means I am too myopic to realize that referring to régimes such as Saddam's or Kim Jong-Il's or Brezhnev's as 'evil' is hopelessly retrograde, not to mention preposterous. (And I hope that one day Iraqis, North Koreans, and citizens of former Warsaw Pact countries who think the same will be able to make a pilgrimage to Western Europe, where the powers that be will, in their infinite wisdom, sober them up by telling them to shut up and by otherwise correcting all such reactionary beliefs.)

It takes awhile to get rolling, but once it does it squashes nearly every snide soft-headed argument I've ever heard come out of an "enlightened" citizen's mouth. Also puts a nice kibosh on some of the "we should've waited, we should've built a coalition" arguments. But that's just me.

Via Iraq Now.

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
February 08, 2004
Welcome to NASA. Here's Your Prize

Slashdot linked up news that NASA is getting in on the X-prize bandwagon:

X PRIZE IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT NASA'S FISCAL YEAR 2005 BUDGET INCLUDES $20 MILLION IN COMPETITIVE PRIZES CALLED "CENTENNIAL CHALLENGES." X PRIZE IS PROUD TO HAVE WORKED WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF NASA TO HELP CREATE THIS PRIZE CONCEPT AND CONGRATULATES THE ADMINISTRATION ON ITS BOLD INITIATIVE.

Sorry about the caps... that's the way it is on their site. Anyway, I've always thought private enterprise should be given some sort of incentive to work toward space travel innovation. It worked for air travel between the wars!

Posted by scott at 05:44 PM eMail this entry!
February 06, 2004
Zoom-Zoom inna Box

Ron gets a bright-yellow no-prize for bringing us Ultimasports.com, manufacturer of "self-assembly supercars". If you've always wanted to build your own car, and have a hankering to b*tch-slap the occasional ricer and/or ponycar driver, you could do a lot worse. Nifty stuff!

Posted by scott at 08:59 AM eMail this entry!
February 05, 2004
Catch Mono

No-Prize to Rich for sending me a early Valentine from America's Sweetheart.

Posted by Ellen at 07:33 PM eMail this entry!
February 04, 2004
Orange County Choppers

Scott and I watched the show "Orange County Choppers" for the first time tonight (on recommendation from Amber & Co.) What we didn't realize was where they are located. We always thought it was Orange County, California. Not Orange County, NY (where I am from).

Check out Orange County Choppers here. they have a new shop opening up in the Newburgh Mall (15 minutes from my Mom's house). Small world.

Apparently my sister says there is one in the Middletown Mall too.

Posted by Ellen at 07:27 PM eMail this entry!
February 03, 2004
X-box 2 Specs?

Gamespot is carrying this brief bit concerning the latest rumors about the X-box 2. Triple 64-bit processors, some new flash graphics card, and flash memory. More worrisome, it's not clear if MS is going to commit to backward compatibility with the original X-box games. If true, I think it'll be a big mistake. Having backward compatibility means you can play the old standards (and new hotness) for the previous platform while you wait for the new stuff to come out.

But, for now, just rumors.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
February 02, 2004
Geeks-eye-view

Slashdot is running this interview with Alan Davidson, a (for want of a better description) journalist/computer geek who helped form Iraq's first Linux User's Group (LUG) while he was based in Iraq. He provides an interesting and different perspective not just on technical progress in Iraq, but the general stuff as well.

Posted by scott at 02:25 PM eMail this entry!
January 30, 2004
Remember, It's 10%, then Add Back Half

Joshua gets a no-prize on a platter for bringing us bitterwaitress.com, an entertaining clearinghouse for gossip, rumor, stories, and news in the wide wonderful world of waiting tables. Is any of it true? Who knows? But it sure is entertaining!

Posted by scott at 02:14 PM eMail this entry!
Best. Video. Ever.

Silflay lead us to Warriors of the Net, which has to be one of the best illustrations of how TCP networks function. Sounds boring? Well, like Bigwig said he had to promise his daughter he'd let her watch it again tonight before she'd go to bed last night.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
More than Meets the Eye

My brother is trying really hard to get his son into Pontiacs. Unfortunately, his job just got a lot harder.

I can already hear Damion's gears turning. Can a Honda Decepticon be far behind?

Posted by scott at 09:11 AM eMail this entry!
Rube Goldberg to the Rescue!

This story about a school fire and how it was put out reminds me a lot of getting a touchdown because a linebacker fell on a football dropped by his quarterback... not something you want to do regularly, but you'll take it:

Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran School teacher Linda Krienke says fire broke out on a desktop in her classroom around 1 a.m. Saturday, causing enough smoke to set off the school's alarm. But when firefighters arrived, they found only glowing embers on the desk.

The heat had caused a fish bowl on the desk to explode, and the water put out the fire, Krienke said.

Fish is fine, by the way. Go him!

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
January 29, 2004
Whale explodes in Taiwanese city

A dead sperm whale has exploded while being delivered to a research centre near the southwestern city of Tainan.

Passers-by and cars were soaked in blood and body parts were sprayed over a road after the bursting of the whale, which was being carried on a trailer.

Read entire article here.

This blood and other stuff that blew out on the road is disgusting, and the smell is really awful .

Posted by Ellen at 08:35 PM eMail this entry!
Time to Start Saving Pennies

First Cannon comes out with a relatively low-budget digital SLR, now it's Nikon's turn. We're very interested in this one, as all of Ellen's camera equipment is Nikon. Hmm... if we re-sell the N-65 body...

Posted by scott at 10:41 AM eMail this entry!
January 28, 2004
And Now for Something Completely Different

Again thanks to Aaron, I just found out we live less than half a mile from where the Presidential turkeys end up. No, not Bush et. al. (ha!), but the turkeys that get pardoned every Thanksgiving. Once we're done thawing out I may have to take my nephew over to have a gander (HA-HA!) at them.

Lately Olivia's been flapping like a turkey herself, so maybe they can teach each other a thing or two.

Posted by scott at 10:19 AM eMail this entry!
Olivia's Next Job?

Well, she sure enjoys playing baby toss, so maybe skydiving is a real possibility?

Here's hoping cute babies are cut in enough to distract from what the guys are there to see. Well, probably not, but still.

And don't worry, the same number of babies are alive and well at the end as at the start. I counted to be sure.

Posted by scott at 09:01 AM eMail this entry!
January 27, 2004
Insert Queen Reference Here

Joshua over at bluelens has this nice roundup of various bicycle-related links and advice.

Cycling is one of the very few kinds of exercise I really like. I'll even cycle in the winter as long as the weather permits. Snow is the worst because it pushes me out into the street where rush-hour-addled commuters whiz by. Scariest moment I've had so far is when some lady just flat didn't see me come alongside during a right turn and "closed the door" on me. Kept pushing me closer and closer to the snowbank until finally my pedal caught in her car's wheel and spun it right around. Hope I gave it a nice long scratch.

Don't worry mom, I don't go out in the snow anymore. Some things will scare even me.

Posted by scott at 12:31 PM eMail this entry!
Head... Spinning...

Playin' with your noggin... forced-perspective street art. Something tells me it's not quite as freaky in person, because I imagine you have to be standing just so for it to work. Still, quite neat!

Posted by scott at 10:21 AM eMail this entry!
Redneck Disguises

Need a beer but can't because of "the rules" or "the man" or (even worse) "the wife" or "the mother-in-law"? Well, BeerDisappear is for you!

I think these things have been around for quite awhile. Certainly the graphics are pretty darned dated on these things. Still, a little anarchy never hurt anybody.

Posted by scott at 10:19 AM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2004
Laura Ingalls Wilder

I LOVE the stories of Laura. I remember that I got the book series one year for Christmas and could not wait to finish all of the books. I still have them, and hope to give them to Olivia when she is old enough to appreciate them.

But here are some really cool links on Laura!

FAQ

Almonzo's home

Little House on the Prarie

Pioneering Journeys

If anyone knows of some more links, let us know!

Posted by Ellen at 12:32 PM eMail this entry!
Orion Details

Digging around the comments on Slashdot I found this nifty summary of just how, exactly, a nuclear-propelled spacecraft might work. Because the "bang plate" design has been around so long and is comparatively well understood, it's been the subject of probably dozens of different SF novels. "Footfall" is the most prominent one I can think of, other readers can likely think of others.

Of course, considering the fuss raised when NASA launched a space probe with 72 pounds of low-grade plutonium inside, trying to launch something using nuclear weapons seems... unlikely.

Still, it's good to know there are workable plans for really huge spacecraft in existence. If, say, a gigantic asteroid was going to splat the earth, I think most industrialized nations would be able to build them. Then we could leave Osama and his ilk behind so they'd be able to have a great face-to-face with Allah.

Posted by scott at 06:24 AM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2004
Myths, Lies, and Stupidity

Instapundit noted this superb John Stossel column, apparently related to a recent TV show, relating the top 10 media myths of our times. Utterly gauranteed to annoy big chunks of our readership with things like:

Myth No. 9 — We Have Less Free Time Than We Used To

I talked with sociologist John Robinson of the University of Maryland, who's been trying to measure how much time we have for several decades. Since 1965, Robinson has had people keep time diaries, so he could calculate how much free time people really have.

I assumed that we've lost free time since 1965, but Robinson said that's not the case. Surprisingly, since 1965 we've gained almost an hour more free time every day.

Myth No. 5 — The Rich Don't Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes

But let's remember the facts: the top 1 percent of Americans — those who earn more than about $300,000 a year — pay 34 percent, more than a third of all income taxes, and the top 5 percent, those making over $125,000, pay more than half.

Myth No. 2 — We're Drowning in Garbage

The EPA says while some cities have to ship garbage out, overall landfill capacity is actually increasing. All around America, people are building bigger landfills. Some landfill owners are competing for our trash.

The yellow-dog peanut gallery has been surprisingly resistant to our trolls of late. Maybe we'll get a bite on this one...

Posted by scott at 01:44 PM eMail this entry!
January 23, 2004
When Macintosh Attacks

Slashdot linked up what must be one of the more elaborate adaptations of computers to an existing automobile. And he used a Macintosh no less. Can Damion's beloved Trogdor-Honda be far behind?

Posted by scott at 03:48 PM eMail this entry!
Like I Need Another Way to Bust My Ass

Segways. Who needs 'em. Where's the challenge in dropping $4500 on something that's already put together? Much better to just roll your own. Cheaper too. That way, when the wheel falls off, your wife can gripe you out about two things you did wrong! :)

Via Bluelens.

Posted by scott at 03:21 PM eMail this entry!
The Kids are All Right

The politicians and REMF generals across the river from them may all be doing their usual worthless "mambo #5", but Iraq Now shows us the folks on the ground seem to be more than competent, as this tale of Medivac Madness shows.

No less interesting was something that came at the end:

We did capture someone that morning with thousands and thousands of dollars worth of Iranian and U.S. currency--fresh, crisp bills, and several books on how to make improvised explosive devices. The Iranian currency tells us a lot. We fly him out the next day. A lot of people want to talk to him.

Iranians causing trouble. Imagine that.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
January 21, 2004
Like a Juice Box, for Grownups

Fark linked up this Seattle Times article detailing how box wines are moving up-town. Dated vintages, well-known vinyards, at 50% less cost. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 02:39 PM eMail this entry!
Guns Guns Guns!

Jeff gets a combat no-prize for bringing us news of the Army's replacement for the venerable and little-loved M-16, the XM8 weapon system (this site has some nice artist's renderings of the weapon's various configurations).

Designed by the the US subsidiary of the German firm Heckler & Koch and built in the US, the system seems to be a winner on all accounts. Most heartening, if this side-by-side comparison is to be believed, the new XM8 system should be far more reliable and easy to maintain than the M-16 ever was. Cheaper too, by almost 1/3rd. It is apparently a highly modified and improved derivative of the well-regarded G36E assault rifle currently used in the German army.

I don't think there's a veteran of the Vietnam war who thinks the M-16 is any less than a deadly boondoggle that regularly got soldiers killed. Even after forty years of development, the best my brother (who spent 4 years in the army during the '90s) could say about it was "it's not that bad." I'm still suspicious (in my arm-chair-soldierly way) of anything the Pentagon likes, but it would seem this system is a real out-of-the-box winner.

However, after doing a little research, I found some alternate views. A caveat: there's an awful lot of chaff in there, just a little bit of wheat. Nothing evokes the passions of men more than what they consider themselves arm-chair experts in (this author included). The most violently negative things you'll read in any technical forum of this nature will nearly always come from people who have absolutely no experience in what is being discussed*. The only opinions I paid attention to were 1) former or active-duty soldiers and 2) people who actually fired the XM8 or the G36 it is derived from. Their opinions seem to be "cautiously optimistic", which is what I'm going with here.

If they ever do build the thing I think the inevitable civilian version would look mighty fine in a gunrack of my very own. But that's just me.

Posted by scott at 02:20 PM eMail this entry!
January 20, 2004
Mad Max Mahem

Also from the same Star Wars story discussed below, I found this nifty site about all the cars on Mad Max and Mad Max 2. And to think all this time I thought Max's interceptor was some sort of Holden...

Posted by scott at 03:43 PM eMail this entry!
Paging Richie Carozza, White Courtesy Phone Please

Well, there goes my brother-in-law's next few years of income. Do-it-yourself Star Wars armor. Boba Fett armor. 'Nuff said.

Update: Always read the comments (this time on Fark), wherein I found Park Sabers, "The most powerful sabers in the known universe." Grown-up toys for grown-ups!

Posted by scott at 03:20 PM eMail this entry!
Ellen will Never Go Near a Catfish Pond Again

Jeff gets his second no-prize of the day for bringing us this story of the record catch of a 121.5 lb. blue catfish from a lake on the Texas-Oklahoma border. With pictures! Interestingly enough, the fish survived and is now apparently on display at a Texas aquarium.

Posted by scott at 02:19 PM eMail this entry!
It's Called "Risotto"

After they stop putting V8s in American sedans but before Honda became a synonym for "hot rod", there was a narrow window in which people started heating up European sedans.

Alfa was no exception, in fact it was one of the vanguards, being one of the very first "Calloway" projects. Now one of these original turbo kits has re-surfaced (warning: long load times ahead!)

Aftermarket twin turbos for an Alfa. Damion would be so proud! :)

Posted by scott at 08:22 AM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2004
To Russia with Paper

For the do-it-yourselfer who has no money, we present the paper camera. Originally developed "behind the iron curtain" as a project for kids, it's still a fun concept. Definitely the slickest pinhole camera I've ever seen.

Posted by scott at 02:08 PM eMail this entry!
Halo on my Head

X-box: $199
Copy of Halo: $45
Look on your friends' faces when you show up to the next halo lan party in full armor: Priceless.

Just gotta make sure I don't get pink armor. Might make me look like, I dunno, a puma.

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2004
RSPCA Cyberpet

For those morons out there that don't deserve the real thing.

Get your own cyberpet. Once you get your cyberpet you need to play with it, feed it, get it vaccinated, groom it - everything you would need to do with a real pet. The more you care for it, the more chance you have of appearing in the cyberpet top 10. Neglect your cyberpet and the RSPCA could take it away!

Posted by Ellen at 11:51 AM eMail this entry!
January 16, 2004
Quick Cards

A little game of distraction for Friday. Speed Cards is a little like solitare, a little like wack-a-mole. The rules sound a lot more confusing than they actually are. I think my best time right now is 2:30, but that's because I stink. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 01:14 PM eMail this entry!
January 15, 2004
I've Heard of Moving Ships Before, but This...

Pat gets a no-prize in a bottle for bringing us these photographs of USS Cole's recovery three years ago. These made the rounds back then, but I still think they're damned impressive. Far as I know, Cole is now toodling around the Persian Gulf making sure people mind their manners. Up yours, Mr. bin-Laden!

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
Ah, Camping... Fresh Air, Sunshine, 16" Guns... Waitaminute...

My brother, who knows more about battleships than most people know about their kids, will be pleased to hear USS New Jersey is open for overnight stays:

Since opening to the public three years ago, the New Jersey has served as a sort of portal to some of the so-called Greatest Generation's greatest challenges. For most visitors, the standard daytime tour transports them momentarily to the hardships and glories of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Marianas and Okinawa invasions. But the more intrepid can chow down in the New Jersey's galley, prowl its decks by night and bunk in its crew quarters.

Of course, he'll have to figure out how to con a 7 year old into going with him. It'll be four years before his is old enough, and I don't know if Jeff can wait that long.

Posted by scott at 09:36 AM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2004
Money Money Money

Both Raed and Salaam are blogging about how the new Iraqi Dinar seems to be turning into an amazing success story. They also discuss the ramifications of this success. For once, they all seem to be positive. Of course, since this isn't bleeding or exploding, don't expect to see much coverage in the mainstream media.

On a related note, Ali over at Iraq, the Model has this heartfelt essay on "what should we do?" It has a nice little sound bite:

Iraqis whine mainly because they are free to do so for the 1st time in their life.

Posted by scott at 12:00 PM eMail this entry!
January 13, 2004
Mostly Harmless

Slashdot brings us news that production on a movie version of Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy is progressing. Scheduled release date is some time in 2005.

Posted by scott at 01:22 PM eMail this entry!
Gizmo-rific

Instapundit linked up what would seem to be the world's first external 1 terabyte HD (in a 5.25 form factor). I got a price quote on one for $990. Damion, our resident mac hardware expert, says the company that makes it "sucks ass" in his opinion, so we won't be advertising them. However, we will promote this account of a very early example of terabyte-level storage from 1970. Robotic manipulation of photographic glass, a thingamajig that looked to fill two very large cabinets. God knows what it cost.

Posted by scott at 12:57 PM eMail this entry!
All Your Fires Are Belong to Us

Robotech, meet fire tech, a cool giant fire-fighting Japanese robot. I think Jeff might be able to swing a mechwarrior treehouse, but I'm not so sure about this thing. Maybe he can convince his wife it's a lawnmower?

Posted by scott at 08:04 AM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2004
Fractured Gems

Was digging around on e-bay looking at Ferraris (oh be quiet... I know some of you look at 5 carat diamonds for kicks!) and found readyToFix.com, a site apparently dedicated to moving smashed sports cars, classics, and exotics. They seem to be straight-up about what you're buying, although their definition of "readily fixable" seems pretty liberal.

Posted by scott at 04:01 PM eMail this entry!
Making Stuff Go "Boom"

Back in the days before the "web", the best place to get a general introduction to just about anything was by finding the usenet newsgroup FAQ about it.

One of the better ones was the pyrotechnics FAQ, wherein you learn how to make cool stuff like black powder and thermite. At least as important, you learn how not to make them. Don't laugh... I can think of half a dozen times over the past ten years when some local news story of a fire lead back to a couple of guys screwing around with steel shavings and powdered aluminum. Sometimes the stories go back more than 10 years:

The Hindenburg fabric was found to be made of a cotton substrate with an aluminized cellulose acetate butyrate dopant. The observations of the fire listed above, in fact, are consistent with a huge aluminum fire.

In order to create paint that is not in fact rocket fuel, one must first know how rocket fuel is made, no?

Posted by scott at 02:06 PM eMail this entry!
Red v. Blue, Season 2!

Highly appropriate considering we just got done with a Halo LAN party last weekend, Red vs. Blue Season 2 has begun. Download yours today!

Ha-ha! Suck it blue!

Posted by scott at 08:34 AM eMail this entry!
Perchance, to Dream

Just got word that this superb classic Alfa race car is up for sale on e-bay (do a search for TZ1). Now, if I could just find a spare $350,000.

Posted by scott at 08:05 AM eMail this entry!
January 10, 2004
This Day in Weather History

January 10th, 1982

The most uncomfortably cold day ever east of the Rockies, as ranked by the NOAA. The temperature dropped to a bitterly cold -26 degrees F in Chigaco.

Thanks to my very cool weather calendar for the facts!

ps. It is cold here today!

Posted by Ellen at 03:24 PM eMail this entry!
January 09, 2004
Red Vs. Blue, Medieval Style

Damion and I have had several long discussions on the classic history-nerd topic of "which is better, a knight or a samurai?" He knows a lot about the Eastern styles, while I've long been a student of the Western ones. Now, someone who claims to know a great deal about both is taking on the issue. His answer is better informed but essential the same as ours... it depends on far too many factors to make an easy call.

While I can't speak too much to his Asian knowledge, I can say his discussions of Western techniques and technology are bang-on. Like the author, I'm always very surprised that people still think of European knights as crude, brutal, trundling tanks just one unhorsing away from certain death.

The truth was quite the opposite... before the triumph of gunpowder weapons, a knight in plate armor was just about the nastiest thing on the battlefield. They were very well trained and extremely mobile even in full plate armor, horseback or no. Recent tests have shown that even the vaunted English longbow was completely ineffective against them*.

This is not to say samurai are without their own advantages. As I said, and the article relates, it simply means the results of such a hypothetical duel would not be a foregone conclusion. It would instead be, well, very interesting.

Posted by scott at 02:43 PM eMail this entry!
Go Tivo!

Coinciding with the latest Consumer Electronics Show, TiVo has announced a whole slew of new offerings. I especially like the home networking option, as I've been trying to figure out how to get music downloaded from iTunes to my stereo for some time now. Requires a series 2, which we don't got, but might get if we'd ever get off our lazy butts and sign up for sattellite TV. Still, high speed low drag, very nice.

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
January 08, 2004
Poor Man's Violence

Battlebots is cool, but battlebots are expensive. Plus, if you're not very good at the end of the day the whole point is to wreck them, which makes it more expensive still. So, some enterprising individuals came up with battlebricks. Same concept, but this time with legos. They're not real fast, they don't seem to be all that violent, but they are cheap and they come apart real good. What's not to love?

Posted by scott at 08:19 AM eMail this entry!
January 07, 2004
You'll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid!

Ok, on the list of things to get next Christmas, we have this miniature (armed) remote control-tank. For Olivia. Because she likes radio controlled tanks that shoot 6mm plastic pellets. No, really!

Posted by scott at 12:41 PM eMail this entry!
January 06, 2004
Anchors Aweigh

Jeff gets a flat-top no-prize for bringing us this article detailing how the USS Midway is being transformed into the country's largest naval aviation museum.

Jeff has a book on carriers that deal with them as ships, instead of floating airstrips, and it had these things to say about the Midway class*:

  • There were three of them, Midway, Franklin Roosevelt, and Coral Sea.
  • They were the supercarriers of their day, created as the absolute answer to Pacific aggression.
  • They had two large design flaws. One, over-compartmentalization, meant hundreds of tiny rooms that made them difficult to live in and fight with. They were also top-heavy, and only got heavier as time went on, making them comparatively unseaworthy.
  • FDR ran aground in the mid 60s, damaging her so badly she was decomissioned and scrapped. As noted in the article, both Midway and Coral Sea continued to serve for a very long time.
  • Coral Sea was scrapped in Baltimore during the '90s, not far from the inner harbor. Jeff, our familial navy nut, was pontificating how Baltimore harbor was interesting but had no real military ships when I first moved out here in '96. "Oh, you mean like that carrier over there?" I pointed out as we exited the I-895 harbor tunnel. Swear to God, you could almost hear the cartoon BOING!!! as he nearly got us in an accident trying to figure out what it was.
  • Midway is, as noted, getting turned into a museum. All the other carrier museums are Essex-class, a smaller WWII design. It'll be the largest until some organization manages to snag a Forrestal class or Enterprise when it is finally retired.

Now if I can just figure out how to get out there some day.

Posted by scott at 12:19 PM eMail this entry!
No Better

Instapundit brings us news of Spirit of America, a site taking donations to help the 1st Marine Division buy things like medical equipment, school supplies, even frisbees, to help them in the "hearts and minds" campaign when they re-deploy to the Sunni triangle in February and March. I sent them a modest amount, which should still be enough to get me in some nice hot water with Ellen, because paypal made me use "auction money." Maybe now she'll get her own account?

Of course we should note it's a sad state of affairs when the Marines find it easier and more cost-effective to ask for donations instead of wading through Pentagon red tape to raise money. Suggesting we cash in a V-22 or two for a "hearts and minds" account would result in impressive screams from the high brass you know.

Posted by scott at 09:51 AM eMail this entry!
January 05, 2004
PETA, meet Jail, Jail, meet PETA

Ok, now while I think efforts to throw mo' betta' laws at PETA asshats is a good idea, as a small-government advocate I'm afraid I have to come down against this one.

But it should be remembered that, as a private-property-rights advocate, I think you should be able to shoot tresspassers.

Posted by scott at 04:56 PM eMail this entry!
Sounds Like a Bush-ism to Me, But...

Ambigrams, a sequence of letters that read the same way from multiple directions. Trust me, you'll like this one.

Posted by scott at 01:00 PM eMail this entry!
January 04, 2004
'Stang Stuff

Well, looks like we're finally getting a look at the new Mustang. This seems to be the first real styling break in the series since 1979. Personally, I think it looks kinda nifty, although I won't say that around my brother. Struts and a live axle mean it won't be worrying the road-race crowd, but a V-8 should please the folks who think races should be over in less than 1500 feet.

Posted by scott at 03:28 PM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2004
Have Walker, Will Travel

For the Star Wars nut in your life who has everything, how about a 1/2 scale AT-ST. For those cretins not in the know, the AT-ST is the "chicken walker", the smaller one that Chewbacca steals in the third movie. For once we're glad Richie doesn't have a lot of room in his apartment!

Yeah, sorry, auction link. Check it before it expires!

Update: I personally think the battlemech tree house is much cooler. Hmmm... who do I know who is a Mechwarrior nut, has a huge back yard, and a three-year-old son to provide cover for this project...

Posted by scott at 12:30 PM eMail this entry!
December 31, 2003
McNutrition

Wanna find out just how much junk is in that junk food? Use the McCalculator!

Actually, my standard order of a Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese, small fries and coke isn't awful (at 640 calories and 31 grams of fat, it's not that great either). The blasted grilled chicken sandwich (which is, by the way, bloody awful IMO) has more fat!

Now, loading up a large shake, a Big Mac, large fries, and one of those McFlurry things gives a much more impressive 100 grams of fat and a whopping 2340 calories. Now I think I understand at least one way monstrously fat people can manage to get that way.

Personally, I like Quiznos better, and it's probably better for me. But sometimes you just gotta have some fries.

Posted by scott at 10:00 AM eMail this entry!
Brew or Bust

Fark linked up this interesting overview of the microbrew industry. Seems all is not "hops and malt" now that the big breweries are coming after them with their own specialty brands. Still, I just got a six of Sam Adams Vienna Lager, and it's good.

Posted by scott at 07:50 AM eMail this entry!
December 30, 2003
More "Stories"

This time we're doing pizza delivery.

Well, this at least I can relate to. In college, I did pizza delivery for two years in a beat-up twenty-five-year-old Italian sports car. It had a rust hole in the floorboard big enough to shove an orange through and leaked water by the bucketfull into your lap when it rained. I miss it to this day.

Those stories you read in Penthouse about naked people answering the door and offering... services... in exchange for pizza? Myths. Never did have an even partially clothed person answering the door. Well, at least one I wanted to see. What I did have was:

  • Two single twenty-something sisters who ordered the exact same thing (two Italian sandwiches and a salad, as I recall) every Thursday, and tipped $3 on a $10.00 bill, as long as you didn't mind the large, scary dog that answered the door. We didn't, and fought over who delivered that ticket.
  • Backing out of a blacked-out gravel driveway into a six foot deep, two foot wide ditch. The resulting impact bounced everything in the car off the roof twice. I managed to drive the car back off the edge. The moment I opened the door and heard fluid hitting the ground I knew I'd shattered the axle. It was only after noticing axle fluid smelled a lot like gasoline that I realized I'd just pulled the fuel line out of the tank.
  • Driving around in circles for an hour trying to find a house in what I later learned was the "delivery triangle", a development seemingly purpose-built, out of wandering corners and poorly lit houses, to hopelessly confuse drivers.
  • Learning that a) people really do order pizza delivery to "seat A13, section 4" just before a major college basketball game, and b) all you actually need to sneak into a sold-out game is a delivery uniform and an empty box. The security guards never even looked twice at me.
  • Learning how to drive in a night blacker than a magician's sack with rain hammering sideways like a firehose across flooded streets in a car fogged up tigher than a drum. Small wonder I think "I hate driving when it's dark" is a piss-poor excuse for staying home.

Oh I got a million of 'em. Fortunately, I've suppressed nearly all of them. I always tip the driver, even though it's probably not enough nowadays.

Posted by scott at 08:50 PM eMail this entry!
Have Camera, Will Travel

Also from slashdot, this nifty report on aerial photography using digital cameras and large (6 foot+) kites. With, of course, pictures!

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
December 29, 2003
Fast, Expensive... Blue?

Jeff gets a supercharged no-prize for bringing us this news about recent Corvette rumors. 427 cu. in. engines (7.0L for you furriner fanciers), superchargers, carbon fiber... wha'ts not to love? Well, the $100k+ price tag for sure, but it's fun to think about.

Posted by scott at 08:39 AM eMail this entry!
December 26, 2003
You Down Wi' ODB?

Gearheads with cars made after 1996 (i.e. most of you) will find ODB-2 an interesting place. This company makes comparatively low-cost ODB-2 connectors and software that allow you to hook a Wintel laptop to your car so it can tell you what's wrong. Basically, it turns a laptop into your very own R2-D2, only without the annoying beeps. This might force Damion to actually touch a PC. We'll have to bring gloves.

Posted by scott at 10:41 AM eMail this entry!
Knock Knock

Nearly everyone knows (or should know) that when your engine "pings" under accelleration, that's bad. Many gearheads can tell you in vague terms why this is bad, but few (myself included) know exactly why it happens. But this site and this site do a bang-up (as it were) job of explaining the how's and why's of internal engine knock. The first one even has pictures of combustion as it ocurrs. Neat!

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
December 24, 2003
MiniPods

Slashdot is running this story about a new development in the iPod product line. Word has it new miniaturized (in size and price) iPods are on the way.

Posted by scott at 07:40 AM eMail this entry!
December 23, 2003
8 Crazy Nights

Yourish does her best to edumacate the goyim about Hannukah. Personally I really was wondering why Lair had an extra candle lit, but was too afraid of Rabbi Blogstein's wrath to ask. :)

Posted by scott at 07:58 PM eMail this entry!
December 21, 2003
Selling is as Selling Does

Pat gets a bargain-basement no-prize for bringing this NYTimes article on e-bay driven business models (free reg, blah blah) to our attention. Four years ago my mom thought I was nuts to even talk about internet auctions. Now she has something like 300+ feedback notices on her own profile.

Posted by scott at 10:24 AM eMail this entry!
December 19, 2003
U.S. Appeals Court to RIAA: Drop Dead

Jeff gets a no-prize on a CD for bringing us news that RIAA is not, in fact, above the law:

In a surprise setback for the recording industry, a U.S. appeals court said Friday its methods for tracking down those who copy its music over the Internet are not authorized by law.

They may be "losing" money, but you can bet your bippy RIAA will have enough to boot this all the way to the Supreme Court. Still, it's nice to see them get a bloody nose for their trouble, at least once.

Posted by scott at 01:13 PM eMail this entry!
Well, Sometimes I'm Right

About two weeks ago on this very site we speculated about the significance of the ambushes that made up what is now known as the battle of Samarra:

Let's for the moment posit that this whole thing wasn't some massive, extremely clever setup. This means the CPA has been penetrated, and probably pretty deeply. Convoys filled with currency don't have swinging yellow "Billions On Board" signs attached to them. Someone dropped a dime on this one.
...
They've got leaks, serious ones, and need to find them.

And now, we have this:

Among the documents found in Saddam's briefcase when he was captured last weekend was a list of names of Iraqis who have been working with the United States — either in the Iraqi security forces or the Coalition Provisional Authority — and are feeding information to the insurgents, a U.S. official told ABCNEWS.

Of course, even a broken clock is right twice a day, so I'm not crowing too much.

Posted by scott at 07:25 AM eMail this entry!
Not Dead Yet!

Happy birthday to Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. Personally I think he croaked on the "tatoo you" tour and nobody really noticed, but that's just me.

The Rolling Stones are also for the most part grandads now. When the hell did that happen?

Posted by scott at 07:10 AM eMail this entry!
December 18, 2003
This is Why I'll Never Go Back to School

I got 8 out of 10. How did you do?

One of the reasons I enjoy writing on this site is I'm graded on content, not fiddly-ass grammar rules nobody remembers anyway. Well, except for my mom at least.

Posted by scott at 12:57 PM eMail this entry!
My Kind of Rules

Sometimes Bush isn't much of a Republican, like when he spends every dime in sight growing federal agencies. But sometimes he still shows his bona-fides

The proposal, scheduled to take effect early next year, would require all government agencies to set up a formal, external "peer review" for any scientific study that could affect major federal regulations or "important public policies." Advocates say the plan will reduce bias in government science and regulation.

The reaction from big-government lefties is, of course, predictable:

[Critics] call it a back-door attempt to stifle new health and environmental regulations by burying them under mountains of discussion and analysis.

Anything that slows down keep-busy beauracrats and ivory-tower academics is just fine by me thank you. No surprise at all that the critics of the plan quoted in the work are those selfsame folks.

Via Site Essential

Posted by scott at 09:22 AM eMail this entry!
December 17, 2003
More Clerk Stories

While not a porn clerk, these first-person accounts of a book store clerk are just about as good. I'm definitely never picking up a Swimsuit Edition anymore.

We have a former book store clerk in the family. I wonder if they ever had to go through anything like this?

Posted by Ellen at 11:14 AM eMail this entry!
$500-$5000 a Week?

Ever wonder if those "make money at home" signs you see nailed to telephone poles are for real? Wonder no more. The answer, of course, is depressingly predictable.

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2003
Craftsman Is...

Some people take unsuspecting Japanese sedans and turn them into hot-rods. Others, well, others take unsuspecting chunks of wood and turn them into a Ferrari, right down to a wooden dash and wooden seats. It even seems to float!

Posted by scott at 12:14 PM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2003
Like a Merry Dive Bomber

A bit of distraction to help pass the day: Santa Bomber!

Posted by scott at 03:16 PM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2003
Bah. I can Barely Make a Snowman

In honor of the demise of the DC area's first "oh-my-god-the-sky-is-falling!!!" snowshower, we feel it appropriate to feature the winners of last year's snow sculpture championships. I wonder if they have a category for snow winkies...

Posted by scott at 10:00 AM eMail this entry!
December 10, 2003
Cheap Tech

The old workhorse homebuilt PC I have at home is finally giving up the ghost. Soundcards appear and disappear at random, USB has never worked properly, and it's always occasionally locked up for no damned good reason. I think a cat zapped it recently, because now it doesn't want to turn on without recycling the power supply.

I like the reviews I'm seeing of AMD's new 64 bit chip. Plus, if I pick one up it'll give my wintel-assimilated brother heartburn. A full-up Alienware system (complete with glowing-green case) was way out of my league, but now slashdot notes one can have 64-bit goodness for a far cheaper price.

Yeah, I know. I can't afford it either. But it'll be something I keep my eye on.

Sermon from tech-head brother about what an awful decision this would be in 3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 03:48 PM eMail this entry!
Protest News

Healing Iraq has some great coverage of the anti-terrorism protests that happened today in Iraq, with lots of cool pictures. Excellent to see peaceful assembly by people with a cause. There was a time when even the sight of the good ol' hammer & sickle would've caused immediate changes in policy in Washington. At least we're not crazy about that anymore.

Posted by scott at 03:09 PM eMail this entry!
December 09, 2003
I Especially Like the Screams

Joshua gets a snow globe shaped no-prize for bringing us the best snow globe simulation ever. Adding gratouitous violence to innocuous holiday-themed paperweights is the whole point of computers, doncha think?

Posted by scott at 12:09 PM eMail this entry!
Hearts, Surgeons, and JOOOS

This nifty story about how an Iraqi infant was saved by an Israeli charity is both impressive and heartwarming at the same time. Sometimes I'm happy to "blame" the Israelis for something!

Wing nut radical Muslim reaction to a Zionist conspiracy "recruiting" innocent children in 3... 2... 1...

Posted by scott at 10:04 AM eMail this entry!
December 08, 2003
Merry Geeky Christmas!

While most are too pricey for my budget, this Discover On-Line list of great science Christmas gifts is still pretty fun to look over. I especially like the miniature rocket-powered drag racer. Damion can finally have his JATO-powered car now!

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
December 06, 2003
Finally, an Answer!

Ever wonder why women's shirts button up one way, while men's button up the other? Yeah, we did too. Turns out lots of people wonder, but, as with most small things that "have always been that way", there isn't one clear answer. I like the armor explanation myself.

Posted by scott at 10:13 AM eMail this entry!
December 05, 2003
Local Fact-Checking

Remember the story about the woman who got trampled in Wal Mart? Picked up by the wire services, the news story got as far as China. Well, a local news station actually did some research and found out something interesting:

A woman reported "trampled" last Friday by Wal-Mart shoppers desperate for $29.87 DVD players has a long history of claiming injuries from Wal-Marts and other businesses where she worked or shopped.

Well, at least this correction got on somebody's front page.

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
December 04, 2003
But is It Art? -- Abstract Edition

Joshua gets his second no-prize of the day for bringing Mr. Picassohead to our attention. Waste time in an artful way!

Posted by scott at 03:07 PM eMail this entry!
And Now For Something Completely Different

Gunny Bunny, when you just have to go and kill something.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
December 03, 2003
Porn Names

Get yer Porn Name!

I got the name "Arcadia Diamond" while Scott became "Lex Vellhung".

Whats your porn name?

Posted by Ellen at 08:22 PM eMail this entry!
The Kids are All Right

While trolling around the previously mentioned Iraq Now, I stumbled across the very entertaining and important Good Morning Mesopotamia!, a journalist's travelogue through the Iraqi wilderness (which, of course, includes Baghdad).

Even reading the very first one will show it's definitely not the kind of hard-hitting investigative reporting we've come to expect from Christiane Amanpour or Sam Donaldson's hair. However, I would argue it's every bit as important and certainly no less accurate a read on what is really happening over there.

Of no less interest is Mr. Galen's semi-professional assessment of why the press keeps screwing it up:

[Journalists getting posted in Iraq for long periods of time] is not the norm. More often, reporters - print and broadcast - cycle in and out sometimes for a few days or weeks; sometimes for a month.

It is axiomatic of the process that reporters (and people who write columns on the internet called "Mullings") have a tendency to parachute into a situation, talk to a few people (often other journalists) and then report what's really going on here.

We have discussed this before, but it bears repeating: If you read some report which says somewhere, "Observers here say …" you are reading the report of a journalist who was sitting at the bar talking to other journalists.

Recommended reading!

Posted by scott at 03:13 PM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2003
And the Drum Goes Boom

Joshua gets a hi-res no-prize for bringing us Animusic, a place that combines CGI and original music into some original creations.

Yeah, I know, synth pop. But it looks pretty nifty! And really, what's wrong with synth pop?

Posted by scott at 09:58 AM eMail this entry!
December 01, 2003
Useless, but Fun!

So, what's unique about your name? Actually, not much in my case... 34th most common name, etc. At least it doesn't give you a wonky history that relates you to some Irish king or something.

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
November 30, 2003
Opus Returns!

Ellen let our subscription to the Post lapse, so we missed Opus's new comic. The internet, as always, comes to our rescue!

Oh be quiet mom. I may grow old, but I'm never growing up.

It's a joke. Laugh, damn you!

Posted by scott at 09:12 PM eMail this entry!
Smelling Salts

Now, this story about the Denver zoo is interesting enough in and of itself:

Practitioners of aromatherapy say their oils extracted from plants promote physical, spiritual and emotional health. There are thousands of essences, but they are used primarily on people.

The Denver Zoo is believed to be one of the first to try it out on animals. Keepers say it has eased ailments and tensions among the primates.

However, one of my close relations had a very... intimate (and unfortunate) encounter with aromatherapy gel. I post this in the hope we can shake the story loose from one of the witnesses :).

Posted by scott at 01:29 PM eMail this entry!
November 28, 2003
Kinda Brings a Whole New Meaning to "Stocking Stuffer"

Man invents the "orgasmotron", which does exactly what you think it does. The Sun is there!

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2003
Glowing Fish to Be First Genetically Changed Pet

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A little tropical fish that glows fluorescent red will be the first genetically engineered pet, a Texas-based company said on Friday.

The zebra fish were originally developed to detect environmental toxins, but Alan Blake and colleagues at Yorktown Technologies, L.P. licensed them to sell as pets.

Read entire article here.

No-Prize to Nina!

Posted by Ellen at 02:04 PM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2003
Engine Restoration

Found this nifty description of the restoration of an Alfa engine. Daddy want!

Oh, and a question to the "goddammit... get a V-8 and shut the f- up" crowd... can you think of a car, any car, that comes with a high powered V-8 that goes for less than, say, $20,000? How about $25,000?

I'm beginning to believe the reason the hotrod crowd moved away from 'murrican muscle is at least as much about price as preference. Remember, a new Honda or Toyota can be had for, what, $12,000? Sure, after it's rodded up it might be close to what a new V-8 cost. But they'll get to drive it the whole time.

Yeah, I know, probably too much "I'd rather push an ['murrican car of choice] than drive a Honda" out there for an honest answer. I'm just sayin...

Posted by scott at 03:20 PM eMail this entry!
November 20, 2003
Volcano Cam

Check this out! LIVE volcano cams!

Posted by Ellen at 07:42 PM eMail this entry!
My Next House

Ok, I know it's a little over-the-top, but being able to park a 707 in your driveway is just goddamn cool. Travolta used to own this Lockheed Constellation, hell he may still, but I do know it's now operated by an air museum group.

I guess if I ever meet him I'll be able to ask why he "traded it in". Even though I have some guesses at the answer.

Posted by scott at 09:57 AM eMail this entry!
November 18, 2003
Got Jenna... the Magazine?

Richie's favorite obsession, Jenna Jamison, is rumored to be buying Penthouse:

According to our sources, [Jenna's] in the running to buy Penthouse magazine.

Note: scroll down to 2nd story.

Posted by scott at 03:19 PM eMail this entry!
November 17, 2003
Corner Shot, Right Pocket

Now, I'll admit the Corner Shot, a weapon that allows you to shoot around corners, is one nifty gizmo. However, close examination seems to show that it is ultimately just a pistol with a remote trigger and a bunch of fancy sensors. I can't help but think someone's come up with this idea before. Does the gun-nut peanut gallery know of any "prior art"?

Update: I personally find the Vektor 20mm a much more effective weapon. That's what you call a safety seat. Now if I can just figure out how to brace Olivia in the chair...

Posted by scott at 09:40 AM eMail this entry!
November 15, 2003
Alfa News

One my digests linked up this neat article detailing proposed new features for the next "big Alfa" sedan. They're gonna put the drive wheels where God intended, in the back, and add rear wheel steering. Assuming they do come back in '07, this will probably be one of the models they bring.

Of course, it'll probably cost $50,000 or so. Ah well. I wonder how much a lease would be...

Posted by scott at 08:42 AM eMail this entry!
November 14, 2003
Hot Cocoa

Hot chocolate is actually good for you!

Cocoa's antioxidants are almost two times stronger than red wine, two to three times stronger than green tea, and four to five times stronger than black tea, reports Science Daily. Antioxidants--vitamins C and E and beta carotene--are widely believed to fight cancer, heart disease, and aging. They may even help stave off the memory-robbing Alzheimer's disease.

Carrie get a very hot chocolate No-Prize!

Posted by Ellen at 04:18 PM eMail this entry!
Bric-a-Brack

Joshua gets a no-prize made of tiny plastic bricks for bringing us this nifty site using game-like computer animation & video to explain how legos get made. I'm not sure which is neater... the site, or the way the things are made.

Posted by scott at 12:30 PM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2003
Mom Should Read it Every Day

Joshua gets a no-prize for bringing HoaxBusters to our attention. Your one-stop shop for the most common internet hoaxes floating around out there. Great for that friend or relative who sends you yet another "post office charging for e-mail" message!

Posted by scott at 12:53 PM eMail this entry!
Nintendo News

For all our console fiends out there, slashdot linked up this announcement that Nintendo is going to launch a new gaming platform soon. Unfortunately, that's about all anyone seems to know... they're not sure if it'll be handheld or another console. Something else for Richie & Damion's mantle.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
November 12, 2003
Performance Dust

Joshua gets a sandy no-prize for bringing us this unique performance art video from Korea. Trust me, you've never seen anything quite like it before.

Unless, of course, you've seen it. :)

Posted by Ellen at 03:01 PM eMail this entry!
A Study for Mom

Perdue University is working on a study trying to figure out why old people fall down. This is near and dear to our hearts, as my mom usually finds an innovative way to pitch herself head-over-heels about once every six months or so.

Posted by Ellen at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
November 11, 2003
Pit bull leaps to rescue

Anthony Romaro got the scare of his life Wednesday night when two Akita dogs, each weighing about 100 pounds, attacked him near his best friend's home in Coral Springs.

Witnesses said a 2-year-old pit bull named Missy played the part of hero during the attack.

Read entire article here.

Akitas, Chows, Sharpeis are dogs in the veterinary world that are blacklisted as being automatically bad during a visit. I have met a sweet Akita named Bear, I have had the pleasure of working with a Sharpei named Kat, that was a cuddle bug, and I have met a super sweet Chow named Chewie that thought he was a Great Dane. You can never just 'label' a dog, you have to take into consideration of who they live with, what the living situation is and how they are cared for. That plays a huge part in the attitude they develope. If all else fails, yes you can blame bad breeding.

Go Missy Go!

Posted by Ellen at 05:10 PM eMail this entry!
It Was 20 Years Ago Today

Ok, it wasn't exactly 20 years ago, and it wasn't exactly today either, but it's close enough. Let's all take some time out to enjoy the cheesy-ness that was the 1984 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I'm sure I watched the original... I watched most of them. Oh be quiet, you probably did too. Unless you weren't born yet. Good lord... when did 1984 become nearly 20 years ago?

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
November 10, 2003
Walking with Sea Monsters?

Nigel Marven's at it again, this time taking on prehistoric sea-monsters. We really enjoyed the "Scientist-as-bait-meets-prehistory" format the last time around with his dinosaur show (title escapes me), so we have high hopes for this one. The article is talking about a UK broadcast, but Discovery seems to get the same program a few months later.

Nigel's kind of like Steve Irwin with a better education and less caffeine. I'm sure he grates on plenty of people, but we think he's a hoot. "Oiym Noy-jel Mah-ven, and we-yah going to have a great toim."

The ancient seas are not well covered by documentaries, so there should be quite a bit of cool stuff in there. Time to set the TiVo...

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
November 09, 2003
Alfa Rebuild

So, I've got a thirty-two year old car with 94,000 miles on it. Far as anyone knows, the motor's never been opened up. It smokes a bit when cold, or when I really tromp on it, and it does tend to consume a quart of oil every 600 miles or so. Yeah. A rebuild candidate for sure, but nothing that has to be done tomorrow, next week, next month, or even next year (so sit down, mom). I can only hope whoever eventually rebuilds the motor takes the time and care this guy did for a "good friend" of his. With pictures!

Damion has a guy this good for his Honda, who will do stuff and then ask Damion how much it should cost. The professional Alfa mechanics left in the US are all crusty, cranky old men with chips on their shoulders. Ah well, that's what my Roth account is for. Go stock market, go!

Posted by scott at 09:06 PM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2003
Pole Dancing

Apparently stripteasing and pole dancing is becomming super popular at Crunch Gyms in the United States.

Now you can do this exercise in the privacy of your own home.

Sheila Kelley's S Factor Workout, Stripping for the Everyday Woman: The Basics, is a beginning workout video that focuses on teaching the S factor foundation with the final benefit of a stripping routine thrown in for good measure. Fun, sexy, athletic and strenuous, you won't believe that you ever lived with out it!

Not only can you get the video, you can buy the POLE!

No Scott, no pole for us, we have vaulted bedroom ceilings.

Posted by Ellen at 05:30 AM eMail this entry!
November 07, 2003
Well, if Yer Goin' Ta Hell, Might As Well Have Fun

Ellen found another reason for God to drop a brick on her head next time she's in a church with this church sign generator. Of course, we couldn't let that one go by:

Ellen, of course, had a different take:

Simple. Funny. Cool. Make your own, share with friends!

Update: Don't miss Amish Tech's signs.

Posted by scott at 12:55 PM eMail this entry!
One Win for Rationalism

Say what you will about Texas, it appears their state board of education has got some backbone:

The State Board of Education voted Thursday to approve biology textbooks, despite criticism from religious activists who say the books as written fail to present the anti-evolution point of view.

I'm sure there will be a few people who read this and want to say something along the lines of, "but it is just a theory" or "don't you know there are serious problems with evolution?" or "alternatives deserve equal time." To them I would direct first to the talk.origins archive, probably the best introduction to biological science ever created. Trust me, your question or caveat is answered in there, better and more clearly than I ever could here.

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
November 06, 2003
Hoaxes R Us

I vaguely remember reading about "ancient Egyptian artifacts" found in Michigan as proof that somehow they were able to cross the ocean. Can't remember exactly where though, I cruise a lot of wacko sites. Well, in case you actually come across someone who talks about them, as you'd expect they're all fakes, and bad ones at that:

Last June [2002], [artifact invenstigator Richard] Stamps visited the Slate Valley Museum on the New York-Vermont border and asked workers there to examine several of the relics. The workers could identify the specific quarry each piece came from and what it originally was made to be: a window sill, a shingle or other construction pieces. But one trapezoidal tablet still puzzled Stamps. In the next room, he looked at a display of items made from slate, including a laundry tub. On closer examination, he noticed the end pieces of the tub were trapezoids, exactly matching the tablet.

Via NakedWriting.

Posted by scott at 01:57 PM eMail this entry!
November 05, 2003
That's One Big Boom!

Some Welsh scientists think they've figured out just how much damage Guy Fawkes would have done if the damned bomb had actually gone off.

For those of you who don't know Guy Fawkes was... hey, wait a minute. This is the internet! Do your own damned research!

Posted by scott at 08:58 AM eMail this entry!
November 04, 2003
Mac Inside

Damion will be pleased to hear that the next-Gen X-box will be powered by the same chip that lives in his new metal monster. No idea what the reaction will be from my winTel-borg-assimilated brother though. Heh...

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
November 01, 2003
All Italian, All the Time!

There was an "all Italian" car show in Alameda CA this weekend, so of course your friendly neighborhood Alfa wack wanted to share the pictures with you. No, I didn't go, I'm on the wrong side of the country, but I was there in spirit!

Now, seeing as how most of you are phillistenes and don't know a GTV from an Alfetta, and therefore would be comparatively lost in a simple list of photos, I thought you might instead like to see a few highlights, like:

After nearly two months in the garage, my own Alfa is finally 100% (well, as close to 100% as it ever gets), so I'll be motoring around soon myself. If you see a white Alfa Spider driving down the toll road in the next few weeks, be sure to wave!

Posted by scott at 09:20 PM eMail this entry!
October 29, 2003
Aurora Pix

Found this NASA site containing lots of cool aurora pictures from the recent solar storms we've been having. Alaska, here we come!

Posted by scott at 03:15 PM eMail this entry!
October 27, 2003
San Diego from the Sky

NSFW due to all the PrOn pop ups!

Pix .

Pretty neat pix! Check it out.

Posted by Ellen at 07:15 PM eMail this entry!
Spam B Gone

A few weeks ago the blog got spammed by some pr0n scum. Regular readers would've noticed a ton of old old posts with sudden activity. Took me awhile, but we won't be having that nonsense anymore. If you run a movableType site and haven't installed MT-Blacklist, well, you deserve what you get! Easily the neatest, most problem-free MT plugin install I've ever seen. Was easier to get running than MT itself!

Don't just stand there... install something!

Posted by scott at 06:33 PM eMail this entry!
Score!

Alfa wons its 7th European Touring Car Championship! Woo-hoo!

ETCC is about as close to NASCAR as Europe gets... factory-backed teams running around road courses in commercial sedan-based race cars. They don't do ovals and (as far as I know) their cars actually start life as the sedans they pretend to be, but in spirit (IMO) it's the same sort of thing. Now if I can just figure out when speedvision shows the damned races...

Posted by scott at 09:22 AM eMail this entry!
October 26, 2003
Bubble Gum Celebrates 75 Years with N.Y. Sugarfest

Created in 1928 by Walter Deimer, an accountant in Philadelphia, the perennial treat was pegged Dubble Bubble by its maker and sold by Fleer Gum Co., which owned the brand name. The first Dubble Bubble squares went on sale in 1937.

Read entire article here .

Posted by Ellen at 02:30 PM eMail this entry!
October 24, 2003
Lost Worlds

ABCnews is carrying this feature about Venezuela's Gran Sabana, a weird geological park:

Venezuela's expansive Gran Sabana is an awe-inspiring landscape filled with towering prehistoric rock formations, dramatic waterfalls and unique species. Its rolling highlands span 8,645 acres across the southeast corner of Venezuela's Canaima National Park, the world's sixth-largest nature reserve.

Gran Sabana means great plain (or savanna) in Spanish, but the terrain's most famous feature is the 40 exotic flat-topped, cliff-edged mountains soaring above the lush grassland.

It's said to be the place that inspiried Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World which in turn inspiried Jurassic Park. It takes a week to get to hike to the best one, so I guess we'll just have to look at the pretty pictures. We have hike-crazy friends though, maybe they'll get a kick out of it...

Posted by scott at 02:33 PM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2003
Fast Photos

I've always liked stroboscopic photography... freeze frames of bullets and baloons and all that jazz. This site has a whole bunch of them. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 08:44 AM eMail this entry!
October 19, 2003
Online Confessions

Check this site out.

Posted by Ellen at 12:25 PM eMail this entry!
October 17, 2003
Pez Forever!

We've got some PEZ collectors out there, so I figured it would be fun to link up this article about the PEZ museum. Hey, it beats the hell out of the sack-cloth-and-ashes thing about the cubs & sox, no?

Posted by scott at 03:14 PM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2003
Wild Pictures

This New Scientist article details the winners of this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year. With, of course, pictures!

Posted by scott at 11:47 AM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2003
More Flash Goodness

Another in our continuing series of tiny time-wasters, we're proud to present extreme snowboarding, a simple yet challenging game of mouse movement. Let's see how my console brethren do...

Posted by scott at 11:40 AM eMail this entry!
Danger Will Robinson!

Somehow it seems nearly everyone missed out on the centibots, an experimental group of 100 robots designed to work together with no outside intervention to accomplish a variety of different tasks. "Centibots" sounds like something my nephew should be watching on DVD though.

Posted by scott at 09:07 AM eMail this entry!
October 14, 2003
Iron Man, Iron Lung

Most folks know about iron lungs... those enormous monstrosities people had to lie in so they could breathe, basically for the rest of their lives. They're obviously all gone now, so much so I'm not sure people younger than 20 even know what they are. I'd wondered what happened to them, and the people inside them, for years. Now, BBCnews has this article detailing the life of the man who could be the oldest living survivor (in Britain anyway) to have used such a device. A victim of polio, he now uses a much smaller portable device that allows him to live at home.

Posted by scott at 11:37 AM eMail this entry!
And People Think I Have Too Much Time on My Hands

Take one studio apartment, add an interior designer who's an SF fan and a boatload of money and what do you get? The "Star Trek" apartment.

Boy, is Ellen going to be surprised when she gets home...

Posted by scott at 08:32 AM eMail this entry!
October 12, 2003
Too Cool to Beep

Exhibiting the finest in good taste, the latest XM radio ads feature the car that everyone should own.

No, Jim, it's not a Chevy. Or a Pontiac Jeff. Or a Honda, Damion. :P

Posted by scott at 08:49 PM eMail this entry!
October 09, 2003
Monster Bike

Robert H. gets a chromed no-prize for bringing this home-built 48-cylinder motorcycle to our attention. Boy, I bet that thing sets off car alarms!

Posted by scott at 02:06 PM eMail this entry!
More Magic Shadows

From the same bunch that brought you the not-quite-matrix ping pong game, we have Magic Shadow basketball. Not quite as cool I'll admit, but still interesting to watch.

Looks to be some sort of weird gameshow. Very interesting!

Posted by scott at 12:55 PM eMail this entry!
October 08, 2003
Base-a-boll, youbet!

So I'm rooting for the Cubs. Sue me. The fact they had to step over the Braves (my brother's eternal champions) to get where they are now was just that much more fun.

Of course, things haven't started out that well, but we'll have to see as time goes by. For now I'm content to torment Ellen with endless baseball coverage for the next week or so.

Which reminds me. I threw a final quote about "Casey at the Bat" last night only to discover Ellen wasn't familiar with that classic poem. So, to make sure all the rest of you cretins learn and love this timeless bit of baseball lore, here it is.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville-- mighty Casey has struck out.
Posted by scott at 03:04 PM eMail this entry!
Your Next Console?

Well, looks like the PS X is official. While it doesn't play everyone else's games or run windows XP, it does seem to do pretty much every other damned thing:

PSX, the beefed up PlayStation 2 video-game machine that also works as a DVD recorder, analog TV, digital photo album and music player.

So be sure to send your buddy in Japan $700. However, considering how freaky the Japanese are about electronics, you better hope he shows up at the store the week before they go on sale. The line will probably be about that long.

Posted by scott at 08:59 AM eMail this entry!
Sometimes, They Are Clever!

Instead of being weird about stuff, the Germans have actually come up with an idea we could all use:

The Nox Bar is billing it as [Germany's] first kindergarten for men. It's charging a little less than 12 dollars to keep men occupied for a Saturday afternoon while their partners hit Hamburg's boutiques.

Considering my 3 month old daughter can already out-shop me, I'm definitely going to be looking for one of these!

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
October 03, 2003
"Classic" Costumes

So, how many of these costumes do you remember wearing? I remember Jeff and I were Batman and Superman (respectively) for years, and then went almost straight into the Star Wars costumes pictured on the site. Eventually I "rolled my own" Vader costume. I kept the mask but ditched the lame vinyl costume that came with it, substituting a clever combination of trash bags, construction paper, boxes, and a really tacky 70s fake gold chain raided from my mom's closet.

Later on I would simply sit in a lawnchair with a light blue sheet over me, handing out candy. I could barely see (mom wouldn't let me cut eyeholes in a good sheet). It amazed me how terrified kids were of this very simple costume. It was funny though... the little kids, 3-5 years old, didn't care a bit, just walked right up. It was the 6-10 year olds who would run screaming.

Posted by scott at 12:29 PM eMail this entry!
Must. Not. Sell. Child...

An Alfisti managed to get himself assigned to work the Frankfurt Auto Show, and he brought back these pictures of Alfa's latest show car (scroll down to see the pics). Eat your heart out, Ferrari.

I'd make another crack about swapping kid for car, but my mom took the last one so seriously she didn't talk to me for a week. I guess all those times she threatened to sell me and my brother to the gypsies she really meant it.

It's a joke mom, laugh.

Posted by scott at 02:59 AM eMail this entry!
October 02, 2003
Geri's Game

Did you know Pixar has all its short films available on the web? Well, why didn't you tell me?!?

A very nice snapshot of the history of computer animation. The crazy thing is I'm pretty sure Geri's Game could now be done real-time as part of a PC or console game. Moore's Law is a wonderful thing.

Posted by scott at 02:40 PM eMail this entry!
Hypercase

Joshua gets a heavily-modified no-prize for bringing this article about "extreme" computer cases to our attention.

I think I'll make a scale-model JATO rocket using a soda bottle and glue it to Damion's new soopa-mac. That'll be a case with one (1) mod, no? :)

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
September 30, 2003
Paging Battie, White Courtesy Phone Please

What merges the spirit of Halloween with the marshmallowy-goodness of everyone's Easter candy of choice?

Bat Peeps!

These'll probably be hanging all over our freinds' ceiling if they can find any. Well, right up until Ellen Homer-Simpsons them off the line that is.

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
September 29, 2003
Toys, not Guns

Sherri gets a no-prize for bringing this effort to send toys to Iraqi children to our attention. The cynical will sneer about sending toys when much more important things are needed. Tell me though, why not help a child smile?

Posted by scott at 10:00 AM eMail this entry!
September 28, 2003
Extra Credit? We Don't Need No Extra Credit!

Also from slashdot, a most excellent project that intends to create an internet connection* using bongo drums. Nope, not a typo.

* Oversimplification alert! To keep the geeks from showing up at my door w/ pitchforks & torches: Technically, they're creating a TCP/IP connection with the bongo drums, but mom wouldn't understand that...

Posted by scott at 12:00 PM eMail this entry!
My Brother's Next Gun

This quote will probably only make sense to my gun-nut brother, but I thought it was cool:

What's the Hatcher's Index of a projectile weighing fifty-thousand grains moving at 400 fps?

Well Jeff? How does that compare with, oh, say, that wackball .50 you got?

Posted by scott at 11:41 AM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2003
Price Drop

Also from RedNova, news that Nintendo is cutting it's gamecube price to $99.99 in the US market. Like I need another box strapped to my HiFi system...

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
The Way It's Supposed to Work

Problem: A mechanism for regulating and preventing a business practice that annoys the hell out of everyone is held up in court because the rules won't allow it.

Solution: Change the rules:

The House voted Thursday to grant the Federal Trade Commission explicit authority to create a national "do not call" list for telemarketers, and Senate action was expected later in the day.

Posted by scott at 01:34 PM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2003
Medical Presidents

From angina to infarctions to anal resuscitation (yup, that's not a typo, check Lincoln's entry), this medical history of the presidents provides a fascinating clinical look at what ailed the leaders of this nation.

Posted by scott at 02:28 PM eMail this entry!
Zen Tags

While trolling around in slashdot I found this neat tagline (aka .sig):

Do not try to think outside the box. That's impossible. Instead, realise the truth. There is no box.

Posted by scott at 10:31 AM eMail this entry!
September 23, 2003
Oh, I Definitely Gotta Get One of These

With this computer display, I will no longer suffer from "mac envy" when I visit Damion's house and his big ol' 21"...

Monitor, you perv.

Heh... and Jeff thinks playing Quake on a 19" monitor makes him sick.

No price, which means I don't want to know. But I can dream!

Posted by scott at 12:09 PM eMail this entry!
September 18, 2003
dentist makes house call for Oscar the otter

Oscar, 5, is nursing a tender mouth today and is off her kibbles and fish diet for a day or two.

The female otter at Lansing's Potter Park Zoo is recovering from root canal surgery performed Wednesday by East Lansing dentist Richard Stilwill and zoo veterinarian Tara Myers Harrison.

See entire article here.

Posted by Ellen at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
September 17, 2003
Is that a Fusion Reactor in Your Garage...

Slashdot linked up this cool story about a high school kid who built a working fusion reactor from donations and junk in his garage. See, sometimes good things can happen when kids tinker with technical stuff (he was, however, supervised).

Posted by scott at 09:30 AM eMail this entry!
Can 'Iron Chef Naples' be far Behind?

The Japanese score another direct hit by capturing the "best pizza award" at an international contest. The guy lives in Italy fer chrissake... is being Asian somehow an impediment to learning how to cook something?

Posted by scott at 08:24 AM eMail this entry!
September 16, 2003
Boom-Boom Isabel

Nasa is featuring this cool pic of Isabel taken by one of their new sattelites.

Posted by scott at 01:09 PM eMail this entry!
Cars R Us

Slashdot linked up this nifty article about how, after nearly 10 years, the Porche 959 supercar finally managed to be federalized.

All fans of foreign cars know two things: 1) The cars we get in the US are hardly ever the most exciting available, and 2) importing the really cool cars is effectively impossible due to all the red tape. These guys got around the federalization process in a very innovative way... they got their senator to write a new law:

Dean went to EPA, NHTSA and all the major manufacturers, to keep everyone happy. We formulated a law—that if 500 or fewer cars were produced, if they weren’t currently produced, if they were never U.S.-legal, and if they were rare—you could import them without having to pass DOT standards. As long as they met EPA standards and were driven no more than 2500 miles per year, they’d be legal.

Unfortunately this means no soopa Nissan Sky-thingy for Damion right now, but if production ever ends...

The only "super" car Alfa made that might meet this is the SZ, a really weird looking thing based on a Milano chassis. Of course, they made 150 too many. Ah well.

Posted by scott at 08:55 AM eMail this entry!
Super Suit

Fark linked up this story summarizing new developments in ceramic armor. Turns out that by sandwiching layers of polymers and kevlar between ceramics, you get something that is light enough to be wearable but strong enough to stop armor piercing bullets. Weirdly, they have no real idea why.

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2003
Fact Checking

Yourish does a nice bit of deconstructing by fact checking a Reuters article. Watch a 14 year old vandal transform in to an 11 year old victim! See an off-limits army base turn into a public airport! Watch as an "innocent victim" "wanders into an area" by cutting through a fence!

Bias? We don't see no stinking bias!

Posted by scott at 03:18 PM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2003
Ramen Noodles - the essential foodstuff

I LOVE Ramen Noodles. I lived on the stuff in college. I had a friend name Mike who's mom would bring him Ramen Noodles every semester. Mike was not fond of those noodles. So he would give me the case of noodles to eat. The problem was that I had no hot pot. But Mike did. Mike 'lent' me that hot pot for 2 years only to come to my room to borrow it back for the occasional cup of coffee or hot chocolate or soup he wanted to make.

For the 2 years at my technical college for Veterinary Technology, I injested so much sodium that I am not surprised that I did not have high blood pressure from it.

Anyhow, here is a neat site on the power of the Ramen Noodle.

Posted by Ellen at 10:04 AM eMail this entry!
September 12, 2003
That's a Big F'ing Fish!

Looks like someone just caught the world's largest halibut. Billy, my die-hard fisher father-in-law, will be very disappointed.

True story: (as I recall, anyway) My parents went ocean fishing one day, either before or shortly after I was born, and caught one of these things (might've been a flounder). Being from Arkansas, they'd never seen nor heard of such an ass-ugly fish, and assumed it was some sort of mutant. They were going to throw it back until their friends shouted to stop them. "No! You eat it! It's good!"

I don't think they believed them.

(Note: Story pulled from deep recesses of memory, almost certainly wrong in detail. Maybe certain readers of this website can clarify?)

Posted by scott at 07:43 PM eMail this entry!
Diesel Rice?

Jeff gets a weighty no-prize for brining the ultimate in reciprocating internal combustion engine power (that means it's a big engine). We're talking 25,000+ liters of diesel-powered lovin here! When I say 108,920 hp and 5.6 million pound-feet of torque, well, even Damion might look up from his crazy rocket powered project.

Of course, the fact that it's nearly 100 feet long and 4 stories tall might make it a bit difficult to fit into his civic. But I don't doubt he'd try!

Posted by scott at 11:08 AM eMail this entry!
September 10, 2003
Putting a Voice to the Words

They actually managed to get our shadowy Baghdad friend Salam Pax to sit down and give a radio interview. Listening to it right now... seems to be covering what he said in the Guardian, but with added dumb questions ("What, exactly, is your real name?") and giggles from the interview.

Via On the Third Hand

Posted by scott at 03:38 PM eMail this entry!
We Demand... A DVD! Waitaminute... DVD?

Fark linked up this story about Doune Castle, where much of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" was shot in 1974. Turns out it's a for-real historic treasure, complete with tails of ghosts, intreugue, and coconuts. Well, the caretaker has the coconuts of course. That's what the swallows are for.

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2003
Spin Doctors

Ok, Spinsanity has been around awhile, but I'd never heard of it. Therefore, of course, neither have you (fallacies R us!)

Seems to be a great place for even-handed dissection of major media outlets and various talking heads/pundits. I mean, any place that picks apart Ann Coulter and Michael Moore with equal aplomb is worthy of a bookmark.

Posted by scott at 03:58 PM eMail this entry!
Follow the Bouncing Ball

Jeff gets a green fuzzy no-prize for letting us know about garage door tennis, yet another cool flash game to help you slack the day away.

We didn't have a garage door while growing up, so instead we played "house tennis". One team of whoever happened to show up with a raquet would stand on one side of the house, and the other team would stand on, well, the other side. The objective was to hit the ball over the house as many times as possible. Not as easy as it sounds for a 10-year-old. We could always tell when dad was on the other team because the ball would land in the neighbor's yard, with three or four kids running like hell to catch it before it rolled into a storm drain.

The things we did for fun before cable and video games...

Posted by scott at 10:40 AM eMail this entry!
Salam History

Salam Pax tells the story of his various blogs in this Guardian piece. And to think we knew him when...

Posted by scott at 09:35 AM eMail this entry!
Sub News

Looks like the navy has a new toy:

The lead boat of the Navy's next-generation attack submarine, Virginia (SSN 774), will be christened during a ceremony Aug. 16 at Electric Boat Corporation’s shipyard in Groton, Conn.
I can only think that the date is a typo... the story's dateline is today. I think this is the "new" class of attack subs that take the stuff Seawolf pioneered but put it in a less expensive package. Not sure though. Anybody? Anybody? Beuler? Jeff?
Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
September 08, 2003
Your Celebrities are no Match for our Facts!

Also from slashdot, looks like the Scientologists have taken a hit. Now we can all learn even more about Xenu and his shadowy minions. WoOt?

Posted by scott at 01:18 PM eMail this entry!
September 07, 2003
When Perspective Attacks

I never could get those "holographic" illusion posters to work for me. You know, the ones that were popular in the 90s, that looked like TV snow but were suppose to resolve into an image if you stared at them long enough? But these illusions work just fine for me. So much so I think I'm going to lie down now... head might explode otherwise.

Posted by Ellen at 11:05 AM eMail this entry!
September 05, 2003
ChopSticks

Totally addictive game on catching flies with chopsticks.

It's not easy!

Posted by Ellen at 08:26 PM eMail this entry!
September 03, 2003
Ghost Town

Weirdlinks, one of our favorite bizzare websites, has put up this photo essay on Bodie CA, "a notorious old west gold mining town." One of the few genuine ghost towns left in the west, the site has been a state park since the early 1960s. Once you get past the somewhat lurid captions ("Bodie: The town of death!"), the pictures are quite compelling.

Well, I know where we're spending our next summer vacation... whatcha think Ellen?

Posted by scott at 03:58 PM eMail this entry!
September 02, 2003
Tire Calculator

Damion gets a low-profile no-prize for bringing this automatic tire calculator to our attention. It says "miata", but it'll work with anything as long as you know the size you started out with and the size you want to go to.

Your speedometer was calibrated with the stock tires it came with. By changing the size of the tire, unless you're careful, you'll throw your speedometer off by certain amount. This calculator will tell you just how much. Very useful when you want to get wider tires but don't want to send your speedo into la-la land.

Posted by scott at 09:19 AM eMail this entry!
August 30, 2003
Star Wars Helmets

No Scott, you cannot buy one. ;)

Posted by Ellen at 11:27 AM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2003
Saturday Morning Memories

Date check time... how many of you out there remember "Kaptain Kool and the Kongs?"

Oh God, c'mon, more than that. Geeze. It's sad when a 35 year old gets nostalgia.

At any rate, while I was doing a google search for them just so I could show all you youngins just how weeeiiirrddd Saturday morning TV was in the 70s, I found a real jem: TVParty.com, which seems to make a living selling all these old programs.

Of much more interest to me, and therefore of course I assume you (since we all know the world revolves around this website, right?), was their summary of Saturday morning cartoons. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have created a summary page for them, so I'll just hit the highlights:

  • The coverage starts in 1966, when apparently all three networks decided to run Saturday morning kid's programming. Even though this was two years before I was born, I do remember some of these programs, the Beatles, Underdog, and Atom Ant in particular. I can only suppose these ended up on my local TV much later as afternoon reruns. My memory isn't that good.
  • 1973 is the earliest year I can clearly remember. I was apparently an NBC fan at that time... I can recall watching all of those programs quite clearly, especially Star Trek and Sigmund and the Seamonsters.
  • I can remember actually losing sleep the night before the 1975 cartoon season premiered. At this point Saturday morning was a big enough deal they'd broadcast "sneak preview" shows in primetime the preceding Friday. I had apparently by now switched from NBC to ABC and CBS. I distinctly remember "The Lost Saucer", thinking it very funny that Gomer Pyle (who was on at 6:30 in reruns... this was a full decade before "Wheel of Fortune" took the half hour before primetime, and old 60s sitcoms were used to fill the gap between local news and network programming) was a space alien.
  • 1976 was the premiere of the above mentioned "Kaptain Kool", and yes, they really did look like that. I swear it was an attempt to cash in on KISS's makeup gimmick, but who knows. Strangely, I remember all of these shows. I can only suppose that I would slowly work through the dial as each show went into reruns. I well remember my dad's shock when he saw the latest blonde hottie on Days of our Lives (Deidre Hall) playing "Electrowoman" opposite "Dynagirl". Suddenly dad got a lot more interested in our Saturday morning programming. Took me many years before I figured out why.
  • 1978 is the last year TVParty covers, and at 10 I apparently was too busy actually going outside and playing to watch all the Saturday morning TV shows. "Space Academy" and "The Fat Albert Show" were fixtures on my schedule, and I swear I never noticed there was any difference in the target audiences between them.

Well, there you have it. Some of you probably said, "oh my god! I remember that!" just like I did, others will shake their head and wonder, "what the hell?!?"

I'll just go on record saying Captain Marvel could kick a smurff to the moon and back. 80s cartoons just weren't the same.

Posted by scott at 08:04 AM eMail this entry!
August 26, 2003
Hoax Alert!

By now most of you have probably seen that startling sattelite image of the '03 blackout. Very cool, yes? Nope, turns out it's a hoax. Also includes some *real* photos of the blackout. I did notice the blacked out area didn't look like the "regular" blacked out areas, but figured it had something to do with some funny photography thing. Ah well...

Via Yourish.

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
August 25, 2003
Vaporcar

While the recent appearance of a new Bugatti at Pebble Beach was quite noteworthy, I can't help but note that an equally impressive Bugatti premiered there about ten years ago. That older car never saw any production (that I know of), and I can't help but doubt this one will see any either. Just another way for a marketing weenie with some engineering talent to separate some really rich fools from their deposit money.

Posted by scott at 08:32 AM eMail this entry!
August 22, 2003
Yet Another Reason for Richie to Get an X-Box

First Outlaw Volleyball, now Half Life 2. Yup, the sequel to one of the best games ever created for the PC will eventually be coming to a big green "X" near you. The key is, of course, eventually. But, since the PC version isn't even due out until November, who knows?

Posted by scott at 10:10 AM eMail this entry!
Walk Like the Japanese

Those clever Japanese are at it again, this time creating a "walking suit" that will help the elderly and disabled make it around town. I'm sure my mom would figure out how to fall down in it (or flood her apartment with it), but maybe we can armor plate it or something for her. And, of course, make her wear a football helmet. :)

Posted by scott at 08:16 AM eMail this entry!
August 21, 2003
Earth Station 5 to RIAA/MPAA: DROP DEAD
Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
Stop Leak for People

I'll not mention any names (other than to say it's not Ellen), but I know of at least one person out there who can't jump on trampolines or laugh particularly hard because they'll pee themselves. Well, looks like there are new treatments that could solve the entire problem. Just in time for us to get that big 12 foot trampoline for Olivia...

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2003
My Sign is "Skeptic"

Even more proof that believing in any sort of astrology is complete horse-dung:

For several decades, researchers tracked more than 2,000 people - most of them born within minutes of each other. According to astrology, the subject should have had very similar traits.
...
The scientists failed to find any evidence of similarities between the "time twins", however. They reported in the current issue of the Journal of Consciousness Studies: "The test conditions could hardly have been more conducive to success . . . but the results are uniformly negative."

There's a reason they put horoscopes next to the comics, and it isn't because that's the only place they'll fit.

Posted by scott at 11:01 AM eMail this entry!
The Ultimate "M" all Computer Newbies Should "RTF"

I know it's been around awhile, but this is the first time I've seen it: How to ask hackers smart questions. I wish I could tatoo this on the ass of 75% of the people that work around here:

The first thing to understand is that hackers actually like hard problems and good, thought-provoking questions about them. If we didn't, we wouldn't be here. If you give us an interesting question to chew on we'll be grateful to you; good questions are a stimulus and a gift. Good questions help us develop our understanding, and often reveal problems we might not have noticed or thought about otherwise. Among hackers, "Good question!" is a strong and sincere compliment.

Despite this, hackers have a reputation for meeting simple questions with what looks like hostility or arrogance. It sometimes looks like we're reflexively rude to newbies and the ignorant. But this isn't really true.

What we are, unapologetically, is hostile to people who seem to be unwilling to think or to do their own homework before asking questions. People like that are time sinks — they take without giving back, they waste time we could have spent on another question more interesting and another person more worthy of an answer. We call people like this "losers" (and for historical reasons we sometimes spell it "lusers"). (emphasis added)

Arrogant? Absolutely. In the hacker world, I'm at best on the top of the lower 3rd of the ladder (I only know three programming languages, two of those are "toys", and I can't do discreet math in my head). I've been on the short end of the hacker stick at least as many times as I've been able to whack a newbie on the butt with it.

Especially in the open source world (OS), everyone expects you to learn (and be interested in!) how their pet project works before they'll help you in actually getting it to work. The dark secret of the OS community is if you don't make them feel appreciated, stroke their egos, you're usually not going to get much help. The bigger the community, the worse this tendency gets.

The ultimate lesson of the FAQ is probably one of the ultimate lessons in life: if you follow all the steps exactly, do all the research you can, and read all the instructions available, you usually won't even need to ask a question.

What's not often understood in the hacker community is that if they actually wrote good software instead of interesting software, extensive documentation instead of minimal comments, and worked from the assumption that people are only interested in what it does and could care little to nothing about how it works, they wouldn't need to deal with most of these stupid questions. They simply would never be asked.

I wonder if there's a FAQ out there called "How to write software that doesn't require a hacker to use." I'm sure the reflex answer from the community would be "it's called college", but judging by the very existence of this FAQ, that's the wrong answer.

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2003
Raise the Tricolor! Tricolor?

Remember that cargo (literally) ship with all the new automobiles that sank awhile back? They're actually raising it now, apparently to prevent liability if some enterprising diver decided to salvage something and put it on a new car. No-prize to jeff for sending us this message thread that contains several pictures of what the soggy salvage looks like.

Posted by scott at 01:58 PM eMail this entry!
Sorta like 3-D Pong

Apparently this flash game has been around awhile, but I'd never seen it before. Something to keep Kris busy during her long work days :).

Posted by scott at 12:33 PM eMail this entry!
August 13, 2003
Sorta Like a Wooden Lava Lamp

WoodThatWorks.com is a site that offers really interesting wood constructs that move in all kinds of strange ways. Be sure to check out the flash animations!

Posted by scott at 12:36 PM eMail this entry!
August 12, 2003
More Mindless Fun

Superman (well, white stick-figure superman) meets Donkey Kong in this simple but surprisingly challenging flash game.

Posted by scott at 01:16 PM eMail this entry!
August 11, 2003
It's an RPG! No! It's a Surfboard!

New Scientist is carrying this report on a lady who is attempting to windsurf across the Pacific ocean. Highlight: An emergency device designed to right the surfboard that uses rockets designed for the Arian 5 space vehicle.

Posted by scott at 12:11 PM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2003
More Web-based Hypnotism

Joshua gets a stretchy-springy no-prize for bringing this, umm... well, this to our attention. I don't have any idea what it is, but it's pretty neat nonetheless.

Posted by scott at 02:37 PM eMail this entry!
August 07, 2003
Buried Treasure

Newsmax seems to be a pretty loopy right-wing rag, but this article detailing the excavation of a MiG-25 has some darned cool pictures with it:

Junkyardblog has an interesting analasys of the whole thing.

Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
August 06, 2003
When Gothic Artists Attack

Damion gets a flying-buttressed no-prize for bringing the CarThedral to our attention. Yes, someone actually wedged a miniature cathedral into a 71 Cadillac hearse.

Of course all this does is give Damion ideas for his own nascent hearse project. Never a good thing.

Posted by scott at 09:06 AM eMail this entry!
August 05, 2003
Have Bug, Will Travel

Yet another mindless flash game for your enjoyment, Butch Mushroom. This one has the best graphics I've seen in a flash game so far. I can't play it for anything, but it looks nice.

Posted by scott at 06:33 PM eMail this entry!
Ooo... Look at Those 8-bit Colors!

Homestar Runner, of "strongbad" fame, is getting his own video game! The catch? It's for the Atari 2600. Time for Richie to dig out his old console...

And yes, Virginia, there was a time when we thought those sort of graphics were scary-realistic.

Posted by scott at 01:47 PM eMail this entry!
The Quick and the Dead

Jeff gets a salvaged no-prize for bringing us this story about the stuff slowly being revealed by the receding waters of the Danube:

Europe's worst drought in years has pushed the mighty river Danube to its lowest level in more than a century, revealing German warships sunk to slow advancing Soviet forces in World War II.

This sort of thing happened periodically along the nearby Arkansas and Mississippi rivers while I was growing up. I'd say once ever five to seven years or so you'd get pictures and stories in the local papers about old paddle-wheel steamers slowly rising from the waves. Even weirder was when the big reservoirs in northwest Arkansas and southeast Missouri (where I went to college) would get drawn down... entire small towns flooded decades ago would slowly reappear like mud-encrusted ghosts. Can you say "Deliverance"? I knew you you could...

Posted by scott at 08:39 AM eMail this entry!
August 04, 2003
Think of it as a Really Ugly Beagle on a Really Tiny Leash

BBCnews is carrying this article on the latest development in mine-detection equipment... mine-sniffing rats. Not just any rat, mind you, but nearly 3-foot long African Pouch Rats. No, they don't find the mines by getting blown up by them, they merely sniff them out and then wait for a bit of bananna as a reward.

Posted by scott at 02:05 PM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2003
Everything You Wanted to Know but Would Never Ask About

EmbarassingProblems.com is a cool site with the straight dope on pretty much every gross thing that can happen to people. From farts to zits to tics to warts, they've got it all.

Oh get over yourself, everyone's fascinated with this stuff.

Posted by scott at 02:44 PM eMail this entry!
I Want Something That'll Shout "TETSUOOO!!!"

I know of at least two people who will find J-List.com an interesting place. All things Japanese, including the completely bizzare naughty bits they're famous for, are available here. Tell 'em AMCGLTD sent ya!

Posted by scott at 01:37 PM eMail this entry!
July 30, 2003
SF For Sale

Slashdot linked up this interesting bit about a giant SF memorabilia auction. Actual props and constumes from Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers (your very own Twiki!), even some Star Wars and Aliens bits.

Heh. I wonder what would happen if I scored that alien thingy and then hung it from the ceiling while Ellen was gone...

Posted by scott at 12:51 PM eMail this entry!
IQ Test

Check your IQ online!

Scott scored a 122- a Precesion Processor, while I scored a measly 117- an Insightful Linguist.

Fun, but LONG test!

Posted by Ellen at 11:09 AM eMail this entry!
Gadget Fun

Joshua gets a no-prize cobbled together from plastic gears & electronics for bringing us this site detailing one guy's efforts to turn a regular flatbed scanner into a digital camera. The results really weren't half bad!

Posted by scott at 09:37 AM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2003
Best. Beerglass. Ever.

Slashdot linked up this article discussing yet another tiny bit of science fiction that may enter our lives... beer glasses that tell the waiter when you need a refill. Now if they could just figure out how to tell it which waitress you want to bring it to you...

Yeah, I know. Couch time for pig-boy...

Posted by scott at 03:02 PM eMail this entry!
July 27, 2003
Telescope How-To

While living next to an airport means I have plenty to listen to on a scanner, it also means I have plenty of light pollution to ruin the night sky. Therefore, even though I live well away from a major metropolitan area, I still have crap for seeing conditions. However, there are others who may not, so I'm linking this nifty how-to site on building your own telescope.

Me, I could barely find the moon with a telescope, let alone something fancy like a nebula or galaxy.

Posted by scott at 05:07 PM eMail this entry!
Red Vs. Blue T-shirts Are In!

One of Scott's most favorite X-Box games and weekly story about the characters of Halo now have their own T-shirts for your wearing pleasure.

The last thing we all need is Scott to wear one of these shirts, he would insist on being called by the character name on the shirt.

Posted by Ellen at 07:18 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2003
World's Largest Blooming Flower in D.C.

I have been watching this in the news for the past few days.

When it reaches its peak, visitors may find themselves holding their noses. The plant's smell is described as similar to rotting flesh or bad fish — earning it the nickname "corpse flower." Flanagan said someone once described the smell as two-day old cooked crabs.
Posted by Ellen at 05:20 AM eMail this entry!
July 24, 2003
When SF Con'ers Attack

Giant robot costume anyone? Props to the guy for building it, but I think he needed to practice walking in it more... to me the video doesn't look like a giant robot, it looks like a guy trying not to fall down.

Posted by scott at 02:37 PM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2003
Better than Singing that Stupid Beer Song

Space.com is featuring 101 Earth Facts. Find out the hottest & coldest places on the planet, the highest waterfall, how many lightning strikes ocurr worldwide every second, the history of the continents, and much more! Guiness-book style stuff, but great fun.

Posted by scott at 01:19 PM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2003
Now if They'll Just Find Beer Prevents Heart Disease, My Life Will Be Complete

Of course, considering the source of this story is actually in Italy, one might be a little skeptical, but I'll take whatever I can get:

Gorging pizza could help reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer -- Italian scientists say.

Technically, as I understand it, Pizza is actually an American invention, cooked up by a guy in Little Italy around 1910. But still...

Posted by scott at 12:09 PM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2003
Oh Dear

Awhile back Damion and I had a conversation about the best way to soup up a Honda Civic to beat an 02 Pontiac Trans AM (why so specific? Oh, no reason.) The goal was the most horsepower with the least number of modifications. To wit:

D: well, what about the stock engine w/ the solid state rocket in the back?
D: that's stock with (1) performance mod

The only real stumbling block he had was a complete lack of anyone willing to sell a rocket to a crazy goth car guy. Well, guess what I found.

I still ain't lightin' no fuse.

Update: Not to be missed: dangerous projects.

Posted by scott at 10:01 AM eMail this entry!
Ellen's Next Job

If you try to learn a foreign language in school, you learn all about vocabulary and pronunciation and syntax and all the other crap that makes your head explode without actually teaching you anything important. It's only when you learn it from another person that you get the good stuff up front... how to swear and pick up women (or men, if you prefer). You may not be able to ask the gentleman in the seat next to you what he thinks of today's headline in "Die Welt", but by god he'll know what a fucktard he is. Even if you don't want him to!

To further this mis-education, we're happy to present Insultmonger.com, wherein even you can create new and innovative combinations of insults and profanity! Endorsed by none other than our very own webmistress, a licensed and bonded professional swearer*.

* Defined as one who can say "f*ck" four times in a single sentence without thinking about it.

Posted by scott at 08:13 AM eMail this entry!
July 18, 2003
Old Time Funerals

Sickness and Death in the Old South gives some nice overviews of burial customs in the southern US. Includes lots of cool pictures (but not of dead bodies, so don't worry/sorry to disappoint).

Posted by scott at 02:00 PM eMail this entry!
Game Cube News

Slashdot linked up this site, who's stated purpose is to "create an ability to play LAN enabled GameCube games over a wide area network (the internet)." I still haven't ponied up the $50 to get internet access for my x-box, and I don't even own a gamecube, but I know a few people who do and thought they might find this interesting.

Posted by scott at 09:30 AM eMail this entry!
July 15, 2003
Home Made Lip Gloss

I found this recipie this morning on Glam Gal Magazine.com

Fruity Lip Gloss
Ingredients:
2 Tbls solid shortening
1 Tbls fruit-flavored powdered drink mix
35 mm film container
Procedure:
Mix shortening & drink mix together in a microwave safe bowl till smooth.
Place in microwave on high for 30 seconds until mix becomes a liquid.
Pour into clean film container, or any other small airtight container.
Place mix into fridge for 20-30 minutes or till firm!

Posted by Ellen at 07:12 AM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2003
Linux News

The first test version of 2.6 is out! If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry, you won't be interested. It does mean I get a new (free!) toy to tinker with (i.e. blow up) on my computer. A typically inscruitable "newbies change log" is here. Yes, that's what the Linux crowd thinks is an informative summary of "what's new."

Posted by scott at 11:33 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2003
Baby Ink Tattoo

We know where we will be taking Olivia for her first inking!

Posted by Ellen at 04:21 PM eMail this entry!
July 11, 2003
There's Big Babies, and Then There's Big Babies

Slashdot noted in this article that CVN-76, USS Ronald Regan, will be comissioned tomorrow. The latest in a long line of Nimitz-class carriers, it sports tons of new improvements and technologies. The next generation of aircraft carriers are (eventually) detailed in this article, which mentions things like electromagnetic catapults and directed energy weapons (aka [pinky to mouth]frikken lasers[/pinky to mouth]).

I don't care what anyone else thinks. Making 4.5 acres of real estate move around is just flat cool. Period.

Posted by scott at 03:25 PM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2003
Coolest. TV. Ever.

Asian TV does it again with this live-action matrix-style ping-pong game. It's like the gong show, only cool.

Posted by scott at 12:25 PM eMail this entry!
July 07, 2003
The Berkeley Robot Project

Build your own Lost in Space robot.

Read the construction progress journal here.

Posted by Ellen at 03:22 PM eMail this entry!
You Know It's Only a Matter of Time Before TCM Gets One

Take two Swiss researchers with lots of grant money and a whole lot of time and what do you get? The world's largest inkjet printer. Uses spraypaint cans for ink. Coming soon to a grafitti artist near you!

Posted by scott at 12:38 PM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2003
I Wonder What Summer will be Wearing

For those of you out there who've been playing Outlaw Golf, thought you might like to know that Outlaw Volleyball is due out this week. I've seen a demo of this thing... you only thought the golf game was raunchy.

Posted by scott at 11:12 AM eMail this entry!
July 04, 2003
This Day In History

Thanks to one of my favorite sites Rotten.com

July 4, 1054
A supernova suddenly appears in the constellation Taurus. It is so bright that for the first 23 days it is visible during the day. Then it gradually fades away, finally disappearing after a year or so. Today the remnants of this star are the Crab Nebula.

July 4, 1826
A comatose Thomas Jefferson dies on the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, only a few hours before John Adams also expires.

Posted by Ellen at 08:52 PM eMail this entry!
No, Really, We Spent .25c to Play This

What do you get when you combine Mario Brothers with Breakout?

Well, ok, I don't know either, but it would probably be at least a little like this.

I can't believe I used to get pissed that my brother could play this game better than me.

Posted by scott at 12:10 PM eMail this entry!
July 01, 2003
Throwing Cards

Learn how to throw cards like a bad ass!

Posted by Ellen at 02:20 PM eMail this entry!
June 30, 2003
Museum of Souls

My sister Nina brings us this link on a new movie comming out in October.

The cool thing is that the creators of the movie are from my town I went to school in (Washingtonville,NY). My sister tells me that it's the owners from J and C Bagels that are creating this movie. Apparently it was bought by Dream Works. (she thinks, not 100% sure)

Posted by Ellen at 05:39 PM eMail this entry!
June 26, 2003
2 Babies, 10 hours apart

2 people I have known since college (on-line) had their baby the same day as us!!! Congratulations Jamison and Dianne!

Posted by Ellen at 04:31 PM eMail this entry!
June 22, 2003
Well, at Least Now We Know What It's Called

Proof that airbrushing vehicles isn't confined to the Western hemisphere, we have Air Brush Hirayama. Very much along the lines of the super-custom-truck site we featured a few weeks back. I may not want one in my driveway, but I can appreciate skilled craftsmanship when I see it.

Posted by scott at 10:33 AM eMail this entry!
June 20, 2003
Finally, a Japanese Trend that Makes Sense

Looks like the latest fad in Japan doesn't involve bouncing round not-quite-kittens or neckties that look like boobs. Nope, seems the latest craze is a good ol' romp in the park:

Growing numbers of young Japanese are getting things out in the open when it comes to sex -- literally, according to Weekly Playboy (7/1).

No pictures, so relatively safe for work. And very amusing I might add.

Posted by scott at 02:27 PM eMail this entry!
June 17, 2003
More Abandoned Places

Roswell isn't just where the aliens landed, it's also where a big strategic missile base was located in the 1950s. I found this cool account of what it was like crawling around inside one ten or more years after it was abandoned. Freaky.

Posted by scott at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
Robot Smash!

Slashdot featured this article about a new robot that uses hyper-powerful jets of water to smash concrete to bits.

Posted by scott at 12:07 PM eMail this entry!
June 16, 2003
James Bond on a Leash

Proving that we're cruising farther and farther into sci-fi land, we have this story about the latest in pet tracking technology:

Secom said Monday it plans to unleash a new service later this month to track missing dogs, using satellite-based global positioning systems (GPS) and mobile phone networks.

Tinfoil hat brigade comments about "big brother is coming to get us!!!" in 3, 2, 1...

Posted by scott at 10:09 AM eMail this entry!
June 15, 2003
History of Father's Day

A small history of how Father's Day came to be.

Happy Father's Day to all Dads out there today!

Posted by Ellen at 12:26 PM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2003
Just Another Day

Since two of our friends treat Friday the 13th as a kind of semi-annual holiday, we thought they might find this brief history of the date interesting. Maybe you will too!

Posted by scott at 09:15 AM eMail this entry!
Pit People

Pat gets a teeny-tiny no-prize for bringing the pit heads to our attention. Very small carvings made on, of all things, fruit pits. Very interesting...

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
June 11, 2003
You Gotta Love Finals Time at College

What do you get when you take a dremel tool, a box of CDs, and some bored college kids? Click here to find out!

D: people are crazy. why didn't I think of that.

Update: Got it from slashdot, where it always pays to read the comments. Found this example of someone testing the truth in advertising of 56x and 64x CD-ROM drives. Answer: at those speeds, CDs explode with enough force to "[deform] the shrapnel protectors, made out of 1.0 mm aluminium."

Posted by scott at 01:36 PM eMail this entry!
When Controllers Attack

Taking realism to a perhaps extreme level, we have this how-to on electrifying your X-Box controller. Finally! Something to slow down Jeff and Damion and Richie on those fight games they're always waxing me on.

Controller paranoia... boy, have we come a long way from Pong or what?

Posted by scott at 09:15 AM eMail this entry!
June 10, 2003
Zen Flash Game

Who would've thought flying around and interacting with the scenery would be well, kinda fun. Definitely something to distract you from a tough day.

Posted by scott at 12:10 PM eMail this entry!
June 09, 2003
Night of the Living Dead... Dolls?

Well, it appears our goth friends already know about the living dead dolls, so we all get to look amazed while they yawn a bit. However, I bet most of them didn't know this:

Living Dead Dolls has now entered it's fifth year as of April 2003. To start off the festivities we released series five in special silver coffins and closed casket dolls of each doll in series five done strictly in black and white.

Feh. They probably knew that too. Ah well...

Posted by scott at 01:00 PM eMail this entry!
It's Like Atom Smashing, with Monitors

The only real problem I have with this otherwise very neat test-to-destruction of a computer monitor is the guy didn't seem to have a clear backstop for his impromptu shooting range. Still, a very entertaining way to turn a computer monitor's insides into outsides.

Posted by scott at 09:41 AM eMail this entry!
Cirque du ... ummm...

Just my luck, when I was childless Vegas tried to turn into Disney, and right when I need Disney Vegas goes and gets all adult. Ah well, probably for the best. All I ever do is hit the nickle slots anyway.

Posted by scott at 09:26 AM eMail this entry!
June 08, 2003
Museum Birthday

This year is the British Museum's 250th anniversary. As the oldest national museum in the world, it has a lot to celebrate, as this story can attest. The main article gets a wee political, but the sidebars are not to be missed.

Posted by scott at 08:20 AM eMail this entry!
Have Nose, will Travel

None other than the BBC seems to think Barry Manilow is becoming cool again. In truth, I've always kinda liked the guy's music, and he does put on a pretty good show from what I've seen on TV. Ellen's mom has seen him in concert I don't know how many times. Why not?

Posted by scott at 07:57 AM eMail this entry!
June 07, 2003
Top Secret

Top Secret Food Recipes

I checked out the link and this week you can make your own Burger King Onion Ring Sauce or Bloomin Onion Sauce (same thing). So I tried it out.

Tastes the SAME to me! Check out the site. A new recipe is up each week!

Posted by Ellen at 06:26 PM eMail this entry!
Weird Food Facts

Got a favorite food? Want to learn some neat facts about it?

Click Here!

Posted by Ellen at 05:44 PM eMail this entry!
Toilet History

BBCnews is carrying this article summarizing a new exhibit in Paris chronicling the history of, well, the toilet. Peasants in the high middle ages were nowhere near as nasty as we're lead to believe... that practice (or lack thereof) came much later, after the great plagues of the fourteenth century.

Posted by scott at 11:04 AM eMail this entry!
June 06, 2003
Old Friends, Long Gone

UrbanAdventure.org chronicles what appears to be one guy's journy through all sorts of abandoned places. Old car factories, bridge tops, bunkers, even a ship or two, all have secret places and dusty echos this guy photographs. Places dead now but with enough left to at least guess at their lives, you look and see the grooves of souls worn into them, filled now with dust and dirt.

You only thought ghost towns were in the southwest.

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
June 05, 2003
We'll Call it, "Counterfitnik"

The good news: You can buy a Sputnik satellite on e-bay

The bad news: there are more Sputniks in circulation now than ever were made.

An aside: Sputnik is on what I tend to think of as a "seam" in the historical record. I've read so many conflicting accounts of what, exactly, it did that I have determined in my own mind that 1) nobody really knows and 2) it probably just went, like, BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Posted by scott at 02:55 PM eMail this entry!
Stick 'em Up!

Pat gets a pearl-handled no-prize for bringing us this N.Y. Times article (heh... God only knows who actually wrote it, no?) about recent efforts to prove what really happened to Billy the Kid.

Posted by scott at 01:27 PM eMail this entry!
June 04, 2003
That's What Ya Calls a "Comprehensive Meltdown"

Jeff gets an oil-soaked no-prize for bringing this gear-head message thread to our attention. An edited version of the introduction:

A couple of weeks ago, I was cruisin with my friend on a Sunday in his RSX-S. Well, he decides to drop the hammer and show me what his car has. He started redlining every gear ... for whatever reason, he decides to downshift into 4th... So, instead of shifting to 4th, he accidentally shifted into 2nd gear right around 7k RPMs. All of a sudden, we hear a "boom" ... We jump out of the car to realize his motor was on fire. Needless to say, we put the fire out before the fire truck came, and got a friend to pull us back home.

Let's all have a moment of silence for a car what got done wrong to.

Posted by scott at 04:00 PM eMail this entry!
More 70s Tech

Long before DVDs and even CDs there were "laser discs" for video playback. Like all 70s electronics they were huge, a little larger than a PC computer box set on its side. There were two competing standards, one from RCA and one that I thought was created by Pioneer but appears to actually have been created by Phillips. A friend of mine in High School had the RCA version and while it was neat, you couldn't rent a damned thing for it at the video store.

The Phillips version, eventually championed by Pioneer, lasted a lot longer, really until the advent of DVD players in the mid 90s. I bought one for a place I used to work for in 1996.

Of course now they're all long gone, but, thanks to this web site, we can all take a moment to reflect on just how far couch-potato tech has come in thirty years.

Posted by scott at 12:56 PM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2003
How Many do You Remember

Test your Saturday morning 70s TV knowledge with quiz 1 and quiz 2 from funtrivia.com. I managed to get 7/10 on both.

Oh shut up, or I'll hit you with my walker.

Update: Even better, I found this set of schedules of all the Saturday morning programs during most of the 1970s. Yes kids, at one point you could show an entire network schedule on one four-row table. One of those rows was PBS!

Posted by scott at 02:47 PM eMail this entry!
Compression FYI

Jeff gets a forged alloy no-prize for bringing us this neat summary of how compression works in a piston engine. Great stuff for the gearhead in your family.

Posted by scott at 11:53 AM eMail this entry!
June 02, 2003
Move Over Spiderman!

Update

Move over Spiderman! Here comes Gecko Boy

A very sticky No-Prize to Rich.

Posted by Ellen at 07:38 PM eMail this entry!
May 30, 2003
Vengance can be Yours, for a Price

Got $4.5 million laying around gathering dust? How about your own aircraft carrier?

Looks to be HMS Vengance, a WWII era carrier that's led a long and probably interesting life.

No, I don't think it's real either. But it would be kinda neat to have as an address, no?

Update: Well, yes, actually, after looking at the whole site this might just be real. I wonder how much the thing is worth in scrap... might be a decent price after all. Time to start saving pennies....

Posted by scott at 10:47 AM eMail this entry!
May 29, 2003
Penny Power!

One penny, big deal. There's tons of them. But how many tons? How many pennies? Take this journey to find out. Very cool, even though it does go on a bit.

Posted by scott at 08:36 AM eMail this entry!
May 27, 2003
Jets R Us

Proof that with enough free time and spare parts an engineer can do anything, we proudly present TurbineNuts, a place who's philosophy seems to be, "if you can put a jet in it, you should put a jet in it."

Kris should make sure Damion never sees it. Trogdor might not be the same...

Warning: page is slow, may take awhile to load.

Posted by scott at 11:35 AM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2003
Lion's Away!

Well, we don't have to worry about the lions anymore:

Lions once kept in a private zoo by the son of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein will be moved out of Baghdad to start a new life in the South African bush, animal welfare groups say.

Shame they couldn't have fed a few of the Baathists to them before they left, but, well, you don't want to feed them too much trash you know.

Posted by scott at 03:49 PM eMail this entry!
May 22, 2003
Wired War

Wired magazine is running this report on what one reporter's impression was of the new electronic battlefield.

Posted by scott at 09:10 AM eMail this entry!
May 20, 2003
We are Syndicated!

Matt gets an honorary napkin-wrapped no-prize for cooking up this livejournal syndication of our site using our RSS feed. In all honesty, we didn't think anyone was ever going to use that, so we're glad someone did! So, if you're a livejournal user you can... oh hell, I don't know what exactly people can do with it, hopefully you do and find it useful.

Thanks again Matt!

Update: Matt's galleries are cool, but contain some stuff that might not be safe for work. You've been warned!

Posted by scott at 12:02 PM eMail this entry!
Homebrew Electricity

When I was in college I had a friend who's dad lived on a farm that had a big natural gas deposit underneath it. The local gas/oil company came out and put a well on it, and (after his dad had paid for the gear) ran a pipeline to his dad's house, giving him free natural gas, basically forever. This meant free heat and free hot water, but because natural gas air conditioners are complex and unreliable, he still had to pay for AC.

It was only years later, well after I'd lost track of the guy, that I thought of the answer... his dad didn't need natural-gas powered AC, his dad needed natural-gas powered electricity.

And now I seem to have found a site that would've helped him build the darned thing. This actually seems to be a "wave of the future." NPR at least has mentioned several times that the cost of small generator plants has dropped to the point that in some areas it's cheaper to generate your own electricity and take your building completely off the normal grid. Perhaps one day we'll have generators sitting next to our air-conditioners. Weird.

Posted by scott at 08:35 AM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2003
In Remembrance of the Funkiest Magician Who Ever Lived

Imagine my surprise when I found out Ellen had never heard of Doug Henning, the world's most famous hippie magician. I found it actually a little difficult to describe the guy, even though he was all over the place on kid's television in the 1970s. I'm happy to report I've found a site that gives a nice summary of his career, with pictures, because trying to explain Doug Henning without pictures is like trying to describe skittles without using the word "rainbow."

Posted by scott at 10:41 AM eMail this entry!
May 13, 2003
A Test for the Rest of Us

Damion gets his 2nd no-prize today for bringing us this how "goth" are you test. I came out as an "angry goth", someone who swears a lot apparently. *shrug*

If you don't know what a "goth" is, take a look at the thing, it may give you some insight. If you think goths are just a bunch of sad death-obsessed rich white kids playing dress-up, well, f*ck off.

Guess it was right...

Posted by scott at 02:30 PM eMail this entry!
May 12, 2003
Red vs Blue

In case you've forgotten, the latest Red vs. Blue is out today.

No! Wait! I've gone back in time!

Posted by scott at 07:30 PM eMail this entry!
May 09, 2003
Neal Stephenson Update

Neal Stephenson, an author who just doesn't write fast enough, has finally got a release date scheduled for his new book, Quicksilver. Look for it starting September 23rd, 2003. In the meantime, you'll have to make do with this preview & excerpt.

Posted by scott at 02:15 PM eMail this entry!
LEGO Tarot

Is there anything you can't do with legos? Now someone's cooked up a full tarot card set out of them. Just how long does it take to put these things together anyway?

Posted by scott at 09:41 AM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2003
X-Box News

Slashdot linked up this bit of X-box news yesterday. Looks like X-box users will be getting some nice upgrades to their multiplay services soon.

Never was much into console games, but now I have two friends who are inveterate console fans. If the multiplay stuff really starts to pan out I may have to break down and get one of these things. If that ever happens, can the Trogdor League be very far behind?

Posted by scott at 08:39 AM eMail this entry!
OS X Resource

Freshmeat, the ultimate resource for open-source software, has opened an OS X section. C'mon mac people, learn to love the command line!

Posted by scott at 08:30 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2003
So That's What $167,000 Looks Like

Carrie gets a British-racing-green no-prize for showing us this review of yet another car we plan on getting once we win the lottery... the Aston Martin DB7.

I first encountered Astons in the pages of Road and Track (James Bond had long since stopped driving them). Big, old-school, and very, very, very fast. That era's DB7 would typically be in the top 3 of the highest of the high-speed cars. Plus, because Britain's roads have a reputation for being, well, "imperfect", Astons have always provided an extremely supple ride even over the worst surfaces.

Of course, it costs as much as a house, but one can dream, no?

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
Water Rockets, Away!

Slashdot featured this cool site detailing the adventures of a "water rocket" enthusiast attempting to create a new power source for one pink Barbie-mobile.

The water rockets I remember were cheap plastic store-bought things with a tiny bycycle-pump to pressurize them. You filled the rocket, which was about 8" tall, about 1/4 full of water by turning it upside down under a spigot. Then you clipped it to the end of the pump with a kind of sliding lock. You then turned it right side up and pumped the hell out of it. When you just couldn't pump any more, you slid the lock back and FWOOSH (a technical term, you know), it would disappear in a cloud of water vapor, typically to crash down on a) your brother's head (the most desired outcome), b) your head (rare) c) a tree or d) the neighbors house (very common).

But those are literally toys compared to the stuff described in the article, and what I saw my engineering friends playing with in college. No flames involved, so it's all relatively safe. Ah, I now have my first father-daughter project...

Posted by scott at 08:47 AM eMail this entry!
May 04, 2003
For Scott

The 5th episode of Red vs. Blue.

If you all have not check out the episodes yet, I suggest you do. They are funny as hell!

Posted by Ellen at 06:16 PM eMail this entry!
May 01, 2003
Hell of a Test

I scored surprisingly well (or, depending on your point of view, poor) on this "what level of hell are you bound for?" test, ending up all the way on #7. Ellen's convinced she's going to be scratching Satan's ass. I wonder if the test will back that up...

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
April 29, 2003
Meet the New 'Vette

Looks like GM is getting ready to come out with a new Corvette soon. I just got used to looking at the old one! Hopefully they'll restyle the back end... I think the current car suffers from "J-Lo" syndrome pretty severely. Of course, if I were to win one in a contest or something I sure as heck wouldn't give it back.

Posted by scott at 02:45 PM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2003
We Just Keep Waiting to Spot Someone We Know

Proof that a) you can find anything on the internet and b) goth is a lot more popular than most people think, we present the GothCam network. So far none of ours are on there, but it's probably only a matter of time.

Posted by scott at 08:38 PM eMail this entry!
April 25, 2003
Sim Porn!

People think I'm the wierd game nerd, but I want it placed in the record that I wasn't the one in my household to insist that the "nude sims" patch get installed. Turns out my wife isn't the only sim-perv in the world, as this sims "orgy" site amply demonstrates.

Posted by scott at 07:10 PM eMail this entry!
When CGI Fake Boobs Meet Real Fake Boobs

Well, I know other guys will get to see it (I sure as hell won't). Turns out there's a new trailer for Tomb Raider 2. Looks about the same as the last, which I didn't see either, but by reports it wasn't a bad movie.

Is it just me, or do Jolie's eyes fairly scream "psycho loves to hurt you chick?" There's not a guy in the audience who doesn't know what I'm talking about.

Posted by scott at 06:57 PM eMail this entry!
Definitely Something Fishy Here

From the junk-transformed-into-art category, we bring you Hub Cap Creatures, wherein an artist proves a hubcap lying on the side of the road can in fact be turned into something useful.

Posted by scott at 09:04 AM eMail this entry!
April 24, 2003
B. A. T. prequel

The B.A.T. cars are well known to pretty much every Alfisti, and most of the rest of the automotive enthusiast world (except for you of course, which is why I provided the link). Yet the cars started at the number 5. Was there a BAT 1 or BAT 3? Well, one guy thinks he's found the answer. Sitting in a barn less than three miles from his house no less.

Posted by scott at 03:14 PM eMail this entry!
April 23, 2003
It's BAAAACK!

Weirdly, rat chicken is one of the top 3 search strings that lead people to our site. The joke was, the link quit working months ago. But now we're happy to report Rat Chicken has returned! Glory once again in the twisted weirdness that is... [echo voice]RAT CHICKEN!!![/echo voice].

No! YOU go to hell!!!

Posted by scott at 05:47 PM eMail this entry!
A Standards Body for the Rest of Us

I've personally never heard of the International Organization for Standardization, but anyone who's interested in creating standards for contraceptive devices is at least worth a second look. You may laugh, but making condoms culturally acceptable in places like Africa and India would be a tremendous stride in the prevention of AIDS.

Posted by scott at 11:45 AM eMail this entry!
April 22, 2003
My Starship's Bigger Than Yours... Neener Neener Neener!

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm a hardware geek. Star Wars to me wasn't about the zippy characters, or snappy dialogue, or overarching storyline. For me, as a nine year old (shaddup Damion), Star Wars was about gear. Lightsabers, landspeeders, and the starships, oh, the starships! One of the things that makes SF so much fun for hardware geeks is that, since almost by definition all starships from all universes must play in the same "physical world", you can actually compare them and have endless chick-repellant debates over which was better. Star Destroyer vs. Enterprise? B5 vs. Lexx? Battlestar vs. Bird of Prey? All were fair game.

Well, they may not have settled any of those debates, but this site at least lets you compare the various "wessels" with each other, to scale.

Yes, I know. Compared to the troubles of the world this is so trivial as to be, well, trivial.

But really, compared to the troubles of the world, what's wrong with a little trivia?

Posted by scott at 07:44 PM eMail this entry!
April 21, 2003
Pop [Culture] Quiz

How many logos can you identify just from one letter? Quite frightening actually, how well I did (I got ~ 70% before I gave up). There are marketeers tapping their greedy little soulless feet because of this.

Posted by scott at 11:56 AM eMail this entry!
A House for Survivalist Hobbits?

For the paranoiac nut who has everything: the ultimate secure home. Nuclear bomb-proof construction, a safe room, and yet a cozy fireplace and four bedrooms. Cool, in an "allworkandnoplaymakesjackadullboy" sort of way.

Posted by scott at 10:42 AM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2003
Ticket to Ride, Pt II

Burt Rutan has finally unveiled his company's design for the world's first private space craft. I'd seen pictures of the carrier plane elsewhere under the "wtf is this thing?!?" category. Well, now we know!

Posted by scott at 12:13 PM eMail this entry!
April 18, 2003
Big Bad Chinese Mama!

Ok, after crawling around in it awhile it would appear that Big Bad Chinese Mama is not in fact new or unknown, but I'd never heard of it before and I'd wager many of you hadn't either (well, ok, my mom probably hasn't heard of it!) Part satire, part slapstic, with a little bit of angst and a whole lot of anger, it's definitely a different look at race relations and the life of (what appears to be) a 20-something activist with a twisted sense of humor. Just the way we like it!

Posted by scott at 11:12 AM eMail this entry!
Paging Joshua Hoover, White Courtesy Phone Please

Our friend Joshua collects exotic Vodkas. He's got them from all over the world, all sorts of colors (black vodka!), and god only knows what flavors. If he hasn't heard of it yet, I'm sure this "hangover-proof" [ark! ark!] vodka will be of interest.

Posted by scott at 10:30 AM eMail this entry!
When Dads Attack

Sometimes slashdot will lighten up just a little (rare, but it does happen) and feature the occasional lighthearted piece. Like this coverage of barstool racing, proof positive that if you can put wheels and an engine on something, someone will figure out how to race it. If you can paint it red, it'll be an Italian.

Posted by scott at 09:03 AM eMail this entry!
April 17, 2003
Peeps!

It's that time of year folks, when pastel is in and bunnies hide eggs. In that spirit, we're proud to present this history of Ellen's favorite Easter snack food, the marshmallow peep.

Posted by scott at 11:36 AM eMail this entry!
That's Captain Hasselhof to You

NavyNewsStand is carrying this story about a new "self defense ship." Instead of tying up expensive new ships and endangering the lives of sailors while testing new defensive systems, it appears the navy de-comissions an older ship, wires it up for remote control, and shoots at that instead. A remote controlled ship... all it'd need is the red light going back and forth on the front of it and you'd have KITT on the ocean!

Posted by scott at 09:32 AM eMail this entry!
April 15, 2003
Turbines to Speed!

Damion gets a jet-propelled no-prize for showing us a real hybrid-powered car. Twin gas turbines no less!

Posted by scott at 05:48 PM eMail this entry!
April 13, 2003
Me Tarzan, You Jane, He Old

Not only is Cheeta the chimp (from the 30s and 40s Tarzan movies) still around, he's 71 years old and therefore the oldest surviving chimp in the world. As far as I know, chimpanzees typically live only about 40 years even in captivity, so this is really old for a chimp.

Posted by scott at 04:18 PM eMail this entry!
Rube Goldberg CGI

This is probably the most elaborate car commercial I've ever seen. Funny thing is, I recognize pretty much every bit of car in it. Sometimes I watch ads and say "They paid someone $150,000 to come up with this?!?" But other times, like this, I go "yeah, ok, at least some of them have a clue."

Posted by scott at 09:05 AM eMail this entry!
April 12, 2003
Amish Tech Advance?

Larry, our favorite jewish cat-loving Texan (if that combination doesn't give you a chuckle you're made of wood) has Re-worked and moved Amish Tech Support. No more blogspot! No more rateyourmusic lock up! Maybe now it'll load in less than 5 minutes...

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2003
The Compleat Aberree

Even fifty years ago there were people trying to stick pins into Scientology, as this on-line collection of all the issues of the "Aberree" shows. Published from 1954 through 1965, its authors described it as "the non-serious voice of Scientology". A great look into what people thought of the movement before it became such a lawsuit menace.

Posted by scott at 05:42 PM eMail this entry!
April 10, 2003
Rescued by Virgin?

Never one to turn down a publicity opportunity when he sees one, Richard Branson of Virigin Atlantic is offering to buy the Concorde fleet from BA. The catch? He'll only pay 1 pound (about $1.50). But he'll also then pay for the continued operation of the fleet. Remains to be seen if BA will take up the offer. More news as we find it out...

Another day, another no-prize for Jeff. Thanks!

Posted by scott at 02:59 PM eMail this entry!
A Job Every Wife Would Love

And actually, most guys would probably like it too. I mean, who wouldn't want to make a living getting shot out of a cannon twice a day?

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want Ellen on the trigger though. And of course you know it'd have to be painted w/ cats.

Posted by scott at 11:27 AM eMail this entry!
Juggling!

When I was in college I was given the classic "learn to juggle" book for a birthday present. Even then I was famous for walking into things, people, air, etc., and a friend thought juggling might help. Well, it didn't really, as instead I started hitting things, people, etc. with the bean bags. I don't think I ever got it going for more than 10 seconds at a time.

But maybe if I'd had this extremely cool juggling "simulator", I'd've done better. Now where did I put those beanbags...

Posted by scott at 09:48 AM eMail this entry!
April 09, 2003
A Cracka for All Seasons

Jason over at negroplease has had the good graces to provide the "Honky Slut Warrior (aka "HSW") with her very own weblog, "cracka barrel". Only two days out and to me she's just as funny as our other Ranty-McRant lady friend, before she got all famous and serious and, like, quit linking us and stuff.

Hopefully HSW won't hurt me too bad for putting her in the same league as Ms. Lucas, because, I don't know, something tells me she may not like our Rachel very much. Just a feeling. (HSW: It's a compliment, not a comparison. Please put the bat down!)

Posted by scott at 02:57 PM eMail this entry!
April 07, 2003
Cars in Barns

CarsinBarns.com showcases the ultimate end of far too many interesting cars... the junk yard or the barn. Nowadays pretty much every muscle car built before 1974 is worth restoring, so interest in basket cases his high. Unfortunately the people who own these wrecks know this, and most don't seem to be available for sale to people who'd fix them up. Of course, knowing the "skillz" of some of these "restorers", maybe that's not a bad thing.

No Alfas of course, because 1) there weren't that many to begin with and 2) if you leave an Alfa in the weather for more than a decade it will simply dissolve into the ground.

Posted by scott at 12:08 PM eMail this entry!
Origami, meet Floppy-Gami

Slashdot squished the original out of existence, but thanks to clever folks we have a mirror that teaches you how to make a model of the USS Enterprise out of a 3.5" floppy. As far as I'm concerned, that's about all they're good for nowadays.

Posted by scott at 08:43 AM eMail this entry!
April 04, 2003
C & C Intro

It has been brought to my attention that a significant number of our readers are too young to actually know who Cheech and Chong are. Notwithstanding this revelation wanting me to threaten you youngsters with my cane, I have decided to do give you a proper pop-culture education.

Well, ok, I won't, but they will. Suffice to say Cheech & Chong were/are the ultimate stoner comedy act from the 70s and 80s. They had a number of successful albums, tours, and a few (mostly so-stupid-they're-funny) movies. I've been told that you youngsters will relate to this: "they're kind of an old-school Jay & Silent Bob."

The "sound effects" in the post are tokes people, not a stage act playing with props!

Posted by scott at 10:07 AM eMail this entry!
April 03, 2003
~ A Wenching We will Go, A Wenching We will Go...~

For the Renfest (renfair?) friend in your life, we found this guide to making your own meade over at kuro5hin. I always got the impression that mead was kind of a thick drink, but never actually having tried the stuff, I have no idea. I wonder if Total Beverage has any...

Posted by scott at 02:43 PM eMail this entry!
April 02, 2003
Poop Facts!

Such a shame K is out in her horrid blue shirt today, because we have hit the motherload of facts on one of her favorite subjects. Ellen's only a little ways behind her in scatalogical interest, so she should be happy too.

Of course, I didn't read the whole thing from end-to-end in one, heh, sitting. Nope, not me.

Posted by scott at 08:54 AM eMail this entry!
April 01, 2003
Bet They Still Cost $25,000

Looks like the latest fashion trend is no fashion at all. Nothing but a tatoo on yer ass. France right now, but you know it'll only be a few days before this starts showing up in the Peoples Republic of Berkely.

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2003
McFly!!!

Well, it doesn't function exactly like the "real thing", but this attempt at a for-real replica of the Delorean from Back to the Future is pretty cool nonetheless. With pictures!

Posted by scott at 11:19 AM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2003
Monkey Bowling

Just like Elf Bowling, except you get to play with a monkey !

Posted by Ellen at 11:49 AM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2003
WHEN Going == Tough SET tough = Shopping

You want to know about "hearts and minds?" How about handing out $100s to an Iraqi rock quarry owner so we can have some of his rocks. And note the IOU left for the guy who made clay bricks. I love this country...

Posted by scott at 07:47 AM eMail this entry!
March 27, 2003
Big Rock, Fall From Sky

Proof that if you saturate a country with enough cameras you'll eventually capture everything, we present this news story of a news crew who were in the right place at the right time when a meteorite did its thing. With video!

Posted by scott at 10:53 AM eMail this entry!
March 26, 2003
Teeny-Tiny

Long, long time ago I remember someone in America got momentarily famous for microsculpting. Now looks like Willard Wigan of the UK has taken up the same itsy-bitsy torch. Very neat!

Posted by scott at 12:21 PM eMail this entry!
March 25, 2003
Tetsuo!!!

The Japanese continue to progress in robotics, with sony introducing the SDR4X II at this year's "Robodex" convention. As soon as they get one that can walk stairs and clean cat puke, I'm there baby, I'm there.

Posted by scott at 08:11 AM eMail this entry!
March 24, 2003
Maybe They Should Hire the "Plaster Caster"

Seems that India has opened its very first "sex museum", intending to instruct rather than titilate. Personally, I think it's a great idea. Kids gotta learn it somewhere, why not somewhere with all the facts?

Of course it would never fly out here, because we all know that such things "encourage" behaivior. Like learning how to wash your hands after going to the toilet "encourages" people to sit on the pot more often.

Posted by scott at 09:14 AM eMail this entry!
March 23, 2003
Welding with an Attitude

Ok Damion, I found your welding mask. You owe me a beer. :)

Posted by scott at 04:52 PM eMail this entry!
March 20, 2003
Nac Mac Feegle!!!

Looks like Terry Pratchett's next book has been announced, this one titled The Wee Free Men, due out in May of this year. As with the past few books, this one takes the discworld into a new direction with a new set of characters (although we have met the Pictsies previously). From the description:

"Another world is colliding with this one," said the toad. "All the monsters are coming back."

"Why?" said Tiffany.

"There's no one to stop them.

There was silence for a moment.

Then Tiffany said, "There's me."

If you haven't read Pratchett before you're really missing out on some funny stuff. Our Goth friends in particular should get an enormous hoot out of:

  • Mort, wherein Death takes a holiday.
  • Witches Abroad, detailing the (mis)adventures of three witches who end up trapped in the machinations of a fairy tale gone wrong (stars my wife's hero, Granny Weatherwax).
  • Reaper Man, wherein the Grim Reaper gets existential and opts for early retirement.

There are dozens more, all are very good, but these were our particular favorites. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 09:17 AM eMail this entry!
March 19, 2003
Well, You Gotta Buy This Stuff Somewhere

For the rural fetishist in your life, the one who can't just toodle down to a local store because one doesn't exist, or who's just wants to convenience of home delivery, we're happy to present to you The Fetish-Factory, an apparently very large on-line store for absolutely everything fetish.

Apologes to the crew at TCM if they already knew all about this place and/or actually featured it in their mag at some point. I'm old and forget things sometimes.

Posted by scott at 12:07 PM eMail this entry!
Spanish Fly, Meet Spanish Panties

Definitely one of those things someone should've thought of sooner. A set of "specially configured" ladies underwear that is designed to stimulate... umm... well, you know. This just changed the entire complexion of next years' valentines day!

Posted by scott at 11:14 AM eMail this entry!
March 18, 2003
Oh, to Have Michael Moore's Address...

I don't think I'll be ordering, mainly because I'm saving up for car parts, but I sure do think Star Spangled Ice Cream is a clever site. I especially like the graphic for the "Nutty Environmentalist" flavor!

Found via Emperor Misha.

Posted by scott at 11:25 AM eMail this entry!
March 17, 2003
TROGDOR RETURNS!

Strongbad can't answer e-mails today because he's playing a new video game. Rember: you must stomp 10 peasants to achieve BURNINATION!!!

Posted by scott at 08:34 AM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2003
Coolest. Toy. Ever.

When gizmologists get busy, we proudly present to you the 1/5th scale Sherman Tank project. Complete with working potato cannon! Yes, I want to build one. No, Ellen won't let me. :)

And Kris, be sure to have towels handy to wipe up the drool when D sees this.

Posted by scott at 10:44 AM eMail this entry!
March 13, 2003
How'd You Like to See Their Basement?

Looks like Sid & Marty Croft are having the mother of all garage sales. One of my earliest memories of TV is watching H&R Puffinstuff on the TV. Let me tell you, to a 4 year old a giant yellow cloth dragon is surreal

Posted by scott at 08:48 AM eMail this entry!
March 12, 2003
Old School

Damion gets a chrome-plated big-block no-prize for bringing this monstrous thing to our attention. "For Jeff", he says, and we know it must've singed his fingers a bit to type the URL.

Posted by scott at 04:29 PM eMail this entry!
BOOM!

Philadelphia Times via Knight Ridder is carrying video of the 21,000 pound bomb test. Actually, I was a little underwhelmed at first, until I realized how far away the camera must've been.

Posted by scott at 11:51 AM eMail this entry!
You Paid How Much?

Ever wonder just how much your car would cost in "today's" dollars? Wonder no more! I found this nifty little CPI calculator off one of my alfa lists. According to it, my car would cost ~$21,000. I wonder how much my grandad's first car would cost today...

Posted by scott at 11:32 AM eMail this entry!
March 11, 2003
Old Subs, New Tasks

Always read the comments. Found this interesting story about the navy's plans to re-task four boomers (SSBN... nuclear missle submarines) into cruise missle boats. The new boats would be able to carry 154 cruise missles. I love the understatement of the quote, "a significant increase in capacity as compared to other platforms." I think the biggest thing we ever had to carry cruise missles was the old BBs (battleships) and they carried only a few dozen I think. Jeff? Any stats at yer fingertips on what kind of guided poo our navy can fling at people right now?

Posted by scott at 11:21 AM eMail this entry!
Ook ook ook

Ok, I'm a guy. I like things that go "bang!" The bigger, the better. So pardon me while I savor the thought of the Air Force testing a new 21,000 pound bomb. No, that's not a typo... 21,000 pounds.

It appears to be a development of the old 15,000 pound BLU-82 "daisy cutter", which was originally developed during Vietnam to (VERY QUICKLY) clear chunks of jungle for helicopter landings. Having made more than they could use, the -82 ended up being a bomb in search of a mission. See, the -82 isn't really a general purpose weapon.

In spite of its massive size, these kinds of weapons really aren't capable of the same kind of damage that, say, a general purpose (GP) or cluster bomb (CB) is. The GP bomb does much of its damage via the fragmentation of its casing, while the CB uses a variety of methods including fragmentation and "shaped charges".

The -82 and (presumably) this new device works via raw "overpressure". Imaging sticking a pin in a filled balloon very close to your face... the "POW!" you feel when it pops is overpressure. Now, this can be nasty, especially if a lot of flying debris is involved. However, as long as you're in an enclosure that can withstand this pressure (i.e. a tank, a bunker, an APC) you'll be deaf, but you won't be dead.

In spite of what the radical lefties and protestors like to shriek about, a bomb that can't take out military targets isn't much use to the armed forces. So the -82 was warehoused and other more potentially potent designs were shelved. At first, their use in the gulf war was at least as much about freeing up warehouse space (each -82 is about 5x5x5 feet in size) as it was about any real tactical use.

However, it was discovered this massive overpressure was extremely useful for setting off mines. Roll one of these things out the back of a C-130 (it's too damned big and heavy to fit in anything else) and huge paths could be blown through minefields in seconds. Since most tinpot third-world armies treat mines like grass seed, suddenly the monster had a purpose again. They also used them in Afghanistan to close up cave entrances and trigger landslides.

More overpressure = more dead mines, so in this case bigger is most definitely better. I have a feeling the introduction of the C-17, which can haul more stuff than the much older C-130 but fit on the same airfields, had an influence.

Again, want to emphasize that this is not a monstrous general-purpose weapon. It is not for use on civilian areas, or as a way to kill more people faster. It is an extremely specialized system designed to be used in very specific situations. Any protestor who tells you differently is either stupid, ignorant, or pushing an agenda.

Update: Found this picture of a BLU-82 on the FARK comments. Ok, so it's quite a bit bigger than 5x5x5. Never was any damned good at measurements.

Posted by scott at 09:03 AM eMail this entry!
Alfa News!

I found this nice update on Alfa's return to the US. The good news:

  • They're still talking about returning. It was beginning to look like it would be one of those "we'll do it next year, ok the year after that, ok the year after that, ok maybe never" kind of things.
  • They're going to try and set up their own dealers, or dealers who already work with Italian cars (Maserati, Ferrari).
  • They're bringing a more complete line of cars over. At the end in 1995 Alfa was only bringing one model over, the 164 sports sedan.

The bad news:

  • They're not coming over until 2007.
  • They're probably going to be expensive.

Still, some progress is better than no progress at all!

Posted by scott at 08:04 AM eMail this entry!
March 10, 2003
Alfa SUV

Well, not exactly an SUV, the Kamal is apparently a "crossover" car, a-la Subaru Outback. Assuming they ever do make it back to the US, this will probably be one of the models they lead with. Ceratinly the prettiest SUV-like-thing I've seen in awhile (although you might call me biased).

Posted by scott at 11:34 AM eMail this entry!
Another Box for Damion

Looks like rumors about Playstation 3 are heating up. I always end up with sore thumbs when I mess with these games...

Posted by scott at 09:07 AM eMail this entry!
March 08, 2003
Agony, Sweet Agony

Found this set of highlight pictures from the recent Geneva Auto Show. I think we might see one or two of these cars in the US some day. Regulations suck.

Here's one person supporting the World Trade Organization, because they're working on treaties that will cross-certify various nations' safety and emissions regulations (Europe and the US are apparently nearly identical according to a Ford emissions engineer who talks on one of my Alfa boards). Once that happens you can just buy whatever you like and boat it over here if you have to.

Posted by scott at 02:09 PM eMail this entry!
March 07, 2003
March 06, 2003
Smilies Smilies Everywhere!

Nina gets a big grinning no-prize for bringing this AIM super-smiley site to our attention. Now you can annoy your enemies and entertain your friends in dozens of colorful new ways!

Posted by scott at 11:03 AM eMail this entry!
March 05, 2003
Cameron Does IMAX

I first heard about Jim Cameron doing an IMAX film on the Titanic on slashdot about a year ago. Seems he and his brother had come up with some amazing new ROVs exclusively to produce vivid images of deep-sea wrecks. These ROVs used a revolutionary fiber-optic cable system that would allow them to go inside wrecks without endangering themselves or humans.

About six months later I got to see this tech in action with Cameron's Discovery show on the Bismark. It was even more impressive in real life than what I'd imagined. But what about Titanic? What had happened to that?

Well, turns out he's just not finished with that one yet. Looks like it will premiere in England (lucky bastards), but will eventually come to the new Air & Space annex over at Dulles. Mark your calendars, and keep your eyes open. This one's gonna be amazing.

Posted by scott at 02:34 PM eMail this entry!
McShelter!

"AMCGLTD", we hear you ask, "I want to protect my self from Osama and his cronies, but I'm a lazy bastard. What am I to do?"

Well, you've come to the right place, because we've found a company that can build you a bomb shelter you put together with simple hand tools! From the story:

Forget buying a new shed this weekend, a flat-pack bomb shelter has been launched that slots together in hours and can protect against a terrorist blast.

Whodathunkit?

Posted by scott at 02:07 PM eMail this entry!
Well, I Don't Think It Ever Bluescreened

The 1980s hearalded the invention of the first "computerized learning tools" (CLT), dinky little devices with LED screens that were supposed to channel a kid's natural yearning to play video games into something that wouldn't rot their brain. Of course it didn't work, because learning spelling and arithmetic has never been fun for anyone.

Well, someone with a creative streak has gone and put a completely functioning "speak-and-spell" on the internet. This was the end-all, be-all of 1st gen CLTs, because it... wait for it... TALKED BACK! Yes, kiddies, at one point a computer going "TEE. AYE. ELL. KAY... TALK" in a robby-the-robot singsong was enough to stop people in their tracks and make them marvel.

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
February 27, 2003
Animated Engines

Ever wonder just exactly how a 2 stroke engine worked? Want to get a look at the way a Wankle engine adapts the Otto cycle? Ever want to know how a steam locomotive engine worked? Well, animated engines is for you! Simple, clean, animated line drawings of pretty much every form of engine used in the past two hundred years can be found here. Very neat!

Posted by scott at 08:07 AM eMail this entry!
February 26, 2003
Sometimes Even Wacks Get it Right

Yeah, I know, the title "Bible Prophecy -- The Omega Letter -- Christian Intelligence" makes me itch too, but this op-ed on "Hollywood" foreign policy is still a good, funny read. I especially like the magazine cover pic: "ALEC BALDWIN -- I want you to help me move to France"

Posted by scott at 10:41 AM eMail this entry!
February 24, 2003
Scale Perfection

Some day, maybe when I'm dead, I'll try to start working on the stacks of kits I have sitting on a shelf in my garage. Hopefully I'll eventually be able to get them looking like this.

Posted by scott at 11:34 AM eMail this entry!
An Interview with a Hedgehog

Ron Jeremy, aka "the hedgehog", gave this interview to RetroCrush.com while promoting his new documentary movie. An interesting look at the industry from a veteran. All pictures safe for work.

Posted by scott at 08:10 AM eMail this entry!
February 22, 2003
Welcome Back!

I'm always the last to know these things. Raed is back! A level-headed voice from the inside, he's still making fun of the press, the US, Europe, and the... well, considering what happened last time, let's just say he makes fun of everyone he should, and never makes fun of anyone he shouldn't.

Don't tell Reuters, ok? They're the reason he went underground last time.

Update: Thanks to Site Essential for bringing this to our attention!

Posted by scott at 05:51 PM eMail this entry!
Simpsons Simpsons Everywhere

A figure for all seasons, that's what the custom Simpson figure archive is all about. Sesh will be very happy.

DOH!

Posted by scott at 04:32 PM eMail this entry!
February 21, 2003
That'll Do It, Ayup

Since the press monkeys recently clued into, "gosh and gee Wally, did you know if I just throw away my computer all my goats3x p0rn and loveletters to Osama can be read by anybody?!?", we here at AMCGLTD would like to take time out to explain to you all probably one of the most effective ways of getting rid of hard drive information. I'm pretty sure even the NSA couldn't get anything off of them after that, but I doubt if they'd confirm that. :)

Posted by scott at 08:15 AM eMail this entry!
Robowars!

Anime fans, set your TiVos and VCRs... cartoon network is having a monster mecha festival! Still no shogun warriors. I wonder if they'll ever do a Battletech cartoon. Or have they already?

Posted by scott at 08:09 AM eMail this entry!
February 20, 2003
I Definitely Gotta Get Me One of These

Rubber-neckers clogging your lane looking at the guy with the flat tire on the other side of the road? Yet another power-yuppie twit doing her makeup while talking on her cell phone cut you off? Spotted your third HOV cheater in five minutes?

Lockmart is here to help! Not to be missed: the 2nd video at the bottom of the page.

I can have one, but Jeff, Cindy, and Ellen can't. Otherwise there wouldn't be any targets for me!

Via Silflay

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
Exterminate!

Found this article detailing the reminisces of and original Dalek, one of Doctor Who's first nemesis. For you poor mundanes who've never heard of it, Doctor Who was a delightfully cheesy British sci-fi show that ran for more than thirty years. A nice summary of what it's all about is here.

I hooked up with the show in high school in the early-to-mid 80s. I still fondly remember the cheesy costumes (in one episode the Daleks were killed by, as I recall, some sort of disease, and in their death throes they squirted shaving cream out of their seams), the clever dialogue, the occasionally hot babe assistants, and the sense of overall fun.

They still show them on the PBS station here, late at night. I tried to get Ellen to watch one but she doesn't get it. Ah well.

Posted by scott at 11:46 AM eMail this entry!
February 18, 2003
Geek Toys

I'm sure we'll get dragged to Toys R Big Bucks by our kid, but if I have anything to say about it the book store and the Discovery store will be visited at least as, hopefully more, often.

And if she brings home something like this, well, I'll have to test it out several times. Just to make sure it's safe, you know.

Posted by scott at 01:46 PM eMail this entry!
February 17, 2003
When Alfa Guys get Bored
Posted by scott at 02:26 PM eMail this entry!
Well, that's One Way to Finish the Basement

Problem: The old church pipe organ you grew up playing is going to be taken apart and sold for scrap so the preacher can have a smaller electric model sitting in front of the church.

Solution: Put it in your basement.

Yes, a whole organ, in a basement. I don't want anyone making fun of me wanting a lift in my garage anymore, 'kay?

Posted by scott at 02:13 PM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2003
Tetsuo!!!

Slashdot featured this cool history of Anime yesterday. Figured the anime fans out there would appreciate it. :)

Posted by scott at 11:25 AM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2003
MMmmm....Beer!

Take a look at this! An entire site dedicated to nearly 4000 beers !

Not only that, they have all been taste-tested!

Posted by Ellen at 11:01 AM eMail this entry!
February 11, 2003
Finally, a Holiday all Men Can Enjoy

And to think I almost let Steak and BJ Day go by without a single mention. Consider that to be corrected!

Posted by scott at 01:12 PM eMail this entry!
February 10, 2003
Score One for the Rational

Jeff wins a sainted no-prize with this follow-up to the "fencepost virgin" story last week. Someone finally tore the thing down. Of course, they're going to put it back up again, but hopefully changed enough to keep the moron religious wack crowd away.

Posted by scott at 03:29 PM eMail this entry!
February 09, 2003
I've Fallen, and I Can't Get Up -- Jumbo Version

There's rescues, and then there's rescues. When your kid gets stuck in the mud you shlep out there and yank 'em free. When an elephant gets stuck in a pond, well, that's a whole different story.

Posted by scott at 01:11 PM eMail this entry!
February 07, 2003
The Value of Self Confidence

This Washington Post article detailing how Rev. Richard "Rich" Weaver crashed a presidential party and managed to hand the President a note before being escorted away demonstrates something I've always found to be true: if you look and act like you're supposed to be somewhere, people will generally assume you are. My own personal experiences:

  • I once walked up to the front of a very long line and stood at the door without a word from the people in line. I was carrying a ton of camera gear around my neck and in a bag, and when asked merely said I was here to photograph the event (which was true, but it was only because a friend was in the contest).
  • Amazing but true, with the advent of cell phones people will sometimes call for pizza delivery at a sporting event. In college I walked right through the back door of the stadium carrying nothing but a pizza box, wearing my dorky-assed red-suspender uniform. If I'd had street clothes in that box instead of a pizza, I could've changed in the rest room and watched the game.
  • "Old Main", the first building on the U of A campus and a very impressive (for Arkansas anyway) piece of 2nd Empire architecture, had been undergoing renovation for nearly four years, and by 1991 was essentially complete. One day when walking by I noticed the security guard for the front door was standing thirty yards away hitting on a co-ed, so I simply squared my shoulders, put a serious look on my face, and walked right in without looking around. Once inside I had the run of the place, tinkered with lights and actually crawled around in the attic.

So if you really want to go somewhere, dress nicely, act nicely, assume that you're supposed to be there, and there's a darned good chance you'll go right in.

As long as you don't carry a gun!

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
February 04, 2003
All Aboard!

Found this cool site containing tons of personal recollections and funny stories from the engineering department of CVN-65, the USS Enterprise. A great "inside" look at life deep in the bowls of "the pig". Note: Sometimes is a bit heavy on the jargon, and occasionally a bit graphic, but still very interesting.

Posted by scott at 01:52 PM eMail this entry!
February 03, 2003
What Will Those Crazy Aussies Think of Next?

For the hot rod crowd (I know there's at least two of you out there), we have this site detailing an Australian hot-rod organization's latest project... stuffing a Merlin V-12 into a 55 Chevy. Well, sort of. It's more like "building a car ourselves that sort of looks like a 55 Chevy and stuffing a big horking airplane engine in it", kind of thing. (note: the pics don't work on the first page but do for the rest of them)

Keep in mind this is a 1650 cubic inch (27.02 Liters) engine, weighing in at a whopping 1385 pounds (628.2 kg), with (in aircraft trim) a nominal output of 1415 horsepower. For comparison, a really big American V-8 is 500 cubic inches (8.2 Liters), and a typical Euro or Japanese "big" 4 cylinder motor is 153 cubic inches (2.5 Liters). The motor alone is nearly as big as my car!

Chrome-plated fuel-injected no-prize goes to Jeff for finding this for us!

Posted by scott at 10:08 AM eMail this entry!
January 29, 2003
I Want One!

While the tone of this article about the latest German craze, the Kartoffelkanone, is more along the lines of "you'll put your eye out kid", I think it sounds cool as all get-out. Anything that can fire a potato at more than 60 mph has got to be a lot of fun! Found via slashdot.

Years ago I read a site that talked about putting together spud guns that had muzzle velocities in excess of 200 mph, but they weren't portable and the potato tended to come apart after just a few feet. These German inventions are way cooler.

Update: Always read the comments, wherein I found reference to a book that gives you easy-to-follow instructions for spud guns and all sorts of other way-beyond-cool pyrotechnical devices. My brother has a back yard that could probably encompass Rhode Island. This has potential...

Posted by scott at 10:00 AM eMail this entry!
Become a UFOlogist!

From, of all people, NASA we bring you your very own "how-to" guide to creating UFO pictures from telescope shots.

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
January 26, 2003
VW Turtle

Someone had oodles of time on their hands to change their car!

Pretty neat!

Posted by Ellen at 01:16 PM eMail this entry!
January 25, 2003
Ellen will Never be the Same Again

I present to you, a recipe for thin mints. Why am I so happy to find this? Well, you've obviously not read about The Power of Chocolate.

Posted by scott at 09:06 PM eMail this entry!
Unusual Bathroom Goods

You have got to check out Bathroom Mania.

All I have to say is that all of the products are rather unique.

Posted by Ellen at 07:41 PM eMail this entry!
January 24, 2003
Oh, to be in College Again

Problem: Your college all-girl wind orchestra needs cash to take a big class trip to perform in Carnegie Hall this spring.

Solution: Take advantage of the fact men are pigs.

Insert woodwind joke here -->.

Posted by scott at 08:34 AM eMail this entry!
January 21, 2003
It Pays to do Research

This just says it all. $17,280 for an Alfa Spider just exactly like mine. Well, ok, not exactly, mine's not that nice, but it is quite nice. This gives me room to a) wrastle with the insurance company if anything awful ever happens to ours (they only made 700 of them, so this is a valuable datapoint) and b) make improvements without thinking I'm pouring money down a hole.

The Alfa spider guys have been moping a bit lately because an antique insurance company was quoted that these cars were junk because they made so many of them. [Nelson Voice]HA-ha![/Nelson Voice]

Update: Sorry Jeff, no '77 Trans-Ams. Closest they seem to have got was a brown 78, original owner, walked away for $11k and change.

Be quiet mom, go play with your bears. ;)

Posted by scott at 06:08 PM eMail this entry!
Singing Science

Rescued from 50s obscurity by a fortuitous discovery in a basement, I present to you Science Songs! Really great, if admittedly somewhat cheesy, nursery-rhyme-type songs to teach your kids about science. Very cool (at least until the RIAA cops catch up with them).

Found via Silflay Hraka's BigWig.

Posted by scott at 11:52 AM eMail this entry!
Gas-B-Gone!

We're all about coolness today at AMCGLTD...

Anyway, Pat gets another no-prize for her mantle by sending us this story about the GasBGon flatulence filter, a pillow that, well, helps filter the farty friend in your family (ha!)

Great. Ellen's going to want to duct tape one of these to my butt.

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
Why America Really is the Land of Opportunity

I mean, where else in the world can you find guys making a living dropping cars out of airplanes for the hell of it? "Skydriving", they call it. I'd call it a hootin lot of fun, but I'm scared of the stairway in my house, let alone jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.

Don't tell Pat, maybe not even Cindy. They both have "donor" cars in mind and might just put together the $$$ to do it!

Posted by scott at 09:54 AM eMail this entry!
It's all Twigs and Gravel to Me

Ellen went on this health breakfast kick once, got nothing but "natural" cereals for a solid year. One day I was out of my normal choco-covered-sugar-bombs and, for lack of anything better, decided to have some of her "Grape-Nuts" cereal. Imagine if a rock quarry sifted their gravel very, very finely, removing both the dust and anything larger than 1/8th of an inch (1-2 mm). Using these shapes for molds, imagine taking the toughest, least-tasty portions of whatever grain you have handy, milling them until they lose all nutritional value, then re-casting them using these new shapes. Now imagine pouring milk over the result and eating it. That's Grape-Nuts, the only cereal in the world that 1/2 cup of sugar won't fix.

No grapes, and not much in the way of nuts either, so I'm glad that now I know why they're called Grape-Nuts.

Posted by scott at 09:09 AM eMail this entry!
January 20, 2003
Talk Sex

This show is laugh out loud funny! Mind you, she gives great sex advice on the air (yes! you can call in with a question!) and has a personality you never thought a granny could! Yes, she is an older woman.

I mean, what other show do you know of that a person would say, on the air " Basically, it's a purple, ridged, butt-plug." With it sitting on her desk! On the tv!

You also get useful demonstrations (no no..she turns them on, not uses them!) of these gadgets. She will even hold them up to her microphone so you can hear it vibrating to!

More fun quotations on the butt-plug thing: " My testers have told me, it felt like a jiggling ramrod, up your butt." *Scott and I howl with laughter*

You MUST check the show out! It airs Sunday nights at 11 pm on the Oxygen channel. We have it season-passed on the Tivo.

Posted by Ellen at 06:42 PM eMail this entry!
Somehow, I Don't See Him Using Pom-Poms

Seems like Darth Vader is now "honorary directory of third division Exeter City", whatever that is. Sounds vaguely like becoming an honorary member of a country club. UK'ers out there want to clarify?

Regardless, a nice development for Prowse, who from what rumours I have heard is not in very good health these days.

Posted by scott at 01:44 PM eMail this entry!
January 19, 2003
Credit Card Companies

Here's some neat tricks on how to piss of credit card companies and get away with it.

Found via The Best Page in the Universe.

Posted by Ellen at 05:46 PM eMail this entry!
Toothpaste Recipe

Here's a neat story, including the recipe for toothpaste from ancient Egypt.

AMCGLTD is not responsible for any party that decides to make their gums bleed from this recipe.

Enjoy!~

Posted by Ellen at 05:36 PM eMail this entry!
January 18, 2003
Now That's a Ticket to Ride

Well, I guess on a Nude Flight it'll be easy to spot the air marshall. One stewardess jiggle would all it'd take for me to be a dead man.

Posted by scott at 05:37 PM eMail this entry!
Roomba... On the Inside
Posted by scott at 05:21 PM eMail this entry!
January 15, 2003
So What if It Costs 10x More Than My House... I Got Checks!

For the unbelievably rich person who has everything, I present to you a McClaren F-1 for sale. I think, I think these things go for ~$1.2 million when new. Trust me, they don't depreciate.

Posted by scott at 08:03 AM eMail this entry!
January 14, 2003
Car of the Future

Autoweek has this summary of what GM, at least, thinks a fuel-cell car will eventually look like. No engine compartment!

The more extreme enviroweenies think we'll never see fuel cells because the oil companies will conspire to prevent their production. Hell, before 9-11 they may have been right. Now, though, I think pretty much everyone in places of power around here (not just in the government) have quietly come to the same conclusion about the Middle East that we did about Europe 60 years ago... It's Time for Them to Go.

There are any number of ways to make hydrogen. One of the more promising methods was to "crack" gasoline using electrochemical methods. This would've leveraged the huge petroleum infrastructure we've built over the past 100+ years.

It would've also perpetuated our reliance on foreign (i.e. middle-eastern) oil, and therefore I believe has been quietly deprecated by the powers-that-be. Certainly I'm not hearing any noise about it from any car or oil industry circle. Instead they seem to have decided to just build out a hydrogen infrastructure. This gives the oil companies a buy-in (if they're smart), because that'll be who builds it. It also leverages utility companies, coal, and natural gas industries, because all the other ways of generating hydrogen require electricity (you crack water instead of gasoline). We have plenty of coal and natural gas, thank you.

Oh, we'll still need oil. Nearly all modern materials require it in some form or another, and certain kinds of transportation (aviation in particular) won't adapt well or quickly to fuel cells. But by removing oil from our ground transportation equation, it stops being a single lever anyone can jiggle to screw with our entire economy. The rest of the world, especially Russia and South America, will be able to easily supply our needs, and we get along just fine with them.

At that point, perhaps in ten years, perhaps in twenty, we will finally be able to remove Islam from its aberrent place on the world stage and allow it to continue its historic slide into poverty and obscurity. The f-d up thing is, the Islamofacists rising to power in the Arab world now probably won't mind at all. Abitious, mean, ignorant old men have ever chosen power and easy women over clean water, live babies, and a healthy populace.

"Poor Grendel's had an accident. So may you all."

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
January 13, 2003
Own Your OWN Island!

On auction at Ebay.

Got few million to spare?

Posted by Ellen at 08:05 AM eMail this entry!
January 12, 2003
Darwin Fish

Thanks to Josh over at Blue Lens, I finally found out where to buy those nifty Darwin Fish.

There is one of just fish bones! Would be purrfect for "The Beast" to wear. (in case you are that dumb, The Beast is a long time nickname for my car for one big reason. My old license plate # that I did not pick out has 666 in sequence on it. )

Posted by Ellen at 05:38 PM eMail this entry!
January 11, 2003
I Gotta Get Me One of These

Ya know, I think having your own personal flying machine is a good idea on the face of it, but c'mon. Tens of thousands of morons kill themselves on our highways every year, and they're only a few inches off the ground. Imagine what would happen if Buffy tried to drink her latte, talk on her cell phone, and do her makeup two hundred feet in the air?

Posted by scott at 03:45 PM eMail this entry!
January 06, 2003
Doing Restoration Right

It is axiomatic in the collector car field that it is always cheaper to buy a car that's already been restored than to buy a "beater" (as in "beat up nasty old car") and do or have the work done yourself. This site, which (big surprise) chronicles the restoration of a 1960 Alfa Rome Guilia Spider, graphically shows why this is so very true. To do it right requires an amazing amount of work, all billed at ~$40-$80 per hour depending on where you live in the US.

The car in question is particularly rare and hand built in ways that would become uncommon less than ten years after its manufacture, so there's a bit more to it than restoring, say, a 1970 Chevelle SS, but it's a difference only in magnitude, not in kind.

Still, the results were quite impressive!

Posted by scott at 11:48 AM eMail this entry!
January 04, 2003
Something for Richie

What do you get when you combine a slightly obsessive-compulsive Star Wars nut who likes to fold paper? Why, Star Wars Origami of course!

Posted by scott at 06:42 AM eMail this entry!
January 03, 2003
A Blog for All Seasons

Brit blogger Phil Gyford is going to serialize Samuel Pepys's diary in its very own blog. For those who do not know, Pepys was a normal guy living through the extraordinary times of London in the 17th century, and chronicled it from a first person, day-by-day perspective that is simply unequaled in its level of detail and authenticity. More background and introductory material is here. A voice from the past using 21st century technology. Way, way cool.

Posted by scott at 01:50 PM eMail this entry!
January 01, 2003
Armored Truck? Bah, I Want to Knock Over one of These

Now that I've got nearly all my pots (just looking for a 6 qt saute pan now, when I get that I'm done), I've decided to see if Snap-on tools are really "all that". Since they have a lifetime gaurantee, I have no qualms buying the things on e-bay, and like all-clad you can save tons. My first ratchet head should be arriving any day now. We'll see.

While puttering around I found this short article on what it's like to actually be a snap-on dealer. Being your own boss, driving from place to place, talking with mechanics, sounds like fun!

Posted by scott at 07:12 PM eMail this entry!
The Morning After

Ever wanted to know how to cure a hangover ?

Posted by Ellen at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
December 31, 2002
New Year's Traditions

Ever wonder why we have certain New Year's traditions? Like kissing at midnight, and making those dreadful resolutions that no one seems to keep? (one reason why I DON'T make them anymore)

Well you can stop wondering and check it all out here.

Posted by Ellen at 01:23 PM eMail this entry!
December 24, 2002
My Kingdom for a... Plane Ticket!!!

Proof that stupid liberal policies aren't just confined to America, I give you the Great German Beer Rush of '02. In summary: a bunch of green enviro-weenies decide the best way to stop disposable containers from multiplying is to use a taxbat to bludgeon its citizens into "behaving". The result? 5c beer and three times the number of tossed bottles and cans getting pushed out on the street in a week.

Posted by scott at 11:03 AM eMail this entry!
December 20, 2002
Not That You're Going to, but Just in Case

If any of you out there are actually looking for a classic Alfa, this one certainly looks to be worth considering. I've already got mine, and it's just about this nice, so I'm going to keep an eye on it to see how much it goes for.

Posted by scott at 11:50 AM eMail this entry!
December 18, 2002
Damned if They Didn't Actually Do Some 'Splainin!

We got this in our "tell us about it" bin today:

Dear Neighbors,

First off, welcome to the neighborhood. I too have recently moved in and like it a lot here. I have to say, it is very interesting to read your blog every now and then. The banner on your cruiser is effective advertising. Again, welcome.

Now, on to my story. One day I came home from work, turned on my laptop, and went to fix dinner. I came back and the PC had detected a wireless signal and automatically connected me. SWEET! That snazzy Bill Gates and is swish XP. I saw this wireless signal as a gift from the networking gods. There are actually two networks that I detect in our neighborhood. The only one I can use is named "Wireless", so I assume that's you. There's a "francois1954", but I can't pick it up very well. I must say the "Wireless" signal is spotty at best and only works on the side of the house closest to you. It is fast, however, and super cool to surf away while watching Sunday football. Oh, and can you really beat instant messaging your buddies while taking care of business in the bathroom? I think not.

Now I honestly had no idea where this signal was coming from. I could only guess based on the strength of signal in different parts of the house that it was in your general direction. When you moved in I saw the banner on your car and started reading your diary. Somewhere in there you mentioned that you had a wireless LAN so at that point I assumed it was you.

[This Paragraph Removed to Avoid the Cable Police, *winkwink* *nudgenudge*]

I never had intention of hacking you or abusing your network. It was truly an accident that I came across the signal, and merely a convenience ever since. I suppose you’ve learned a lesson in WAP encryption, [CABLE POLICE AVOIDANCE TRIGGERED!]. You can reply to me or through the website… Chief Moose style

Sincerely,

You’re Good Intentioned Not So Mysterious Neighbor (XXXXXX)


Dear GINSMN:

Personally, I'm amazed you were able to pick up the signal. Sometimes we have difficulty picking it up just upstairs! Serves me right for not implementing security in the first place. Thanks for the note, and we'll be getting back to you on the other thing via e-mail.

P.S. Ellen wants to know if you have a dog named Tucker?

Ain't that something?

Posted by scott at 12:39 PM eMail this entry!
One Fine Ride

Even in minature, Alfas Rule!

Posted by scott at 08:40 AM eMail this entry!
December 15, 2002
Well, at Least We're on Someone's Radar

I'm not sure if being immortalized for what is essentially an 800 word fart joke is a good thing or not, but hell, why not...

Posted by scott at 06:56 PM eMail this entry!
December 12, 2002
Another Convert

Lynn of LynnUnleashed has moved, changed her name, and converted to MT. Things are looking great from here, but she's still tinkering so don't be surprised if a beam comes loose or a light bulb falls out occasionally. Good job!

Posted by scott at 02:22 PM eMail this entry!
A Case Good Enough to Eat

Hey Jeff, how well do you think a gingerbread house PC case would do in overclocking?

Posted by scott at 09:44 AM eMail this entry!
December 11, 2002
X-Mas in Pac-Land

I really remember watching Pac-Man the animated cartoon on saturday mornings back in the 80's. Thats right Scott, the 80's! You were what? In college then? (wink)

Anyway, here is a overview of the X-Mas Special.

Posted by Ellen at 07:47 AM eMail this entry!
December 05, 2002
You Just Think Your Refrigerator is Noisy

Howsabout a refrigerator that uses sound so loud it'll set your hair on fire to cool things down? And mom always told you loud music would get you nowhere...

Posted by Ellen at 11:43 AM eMail this entry!
December 03, 2002
La Familia!

We're already working on an essay about "living Italian", but for the moment I'd like you to read Michele's memories of her own genuine Italian Gramma. Sounds like a version of my wife's great grandmother.

Posted by Ellen at 02:25 PM eMail this entry!
December 02, 2002
Whatabargain!

An old Alfa buddy of mine is being forced to sell his spider. If you're looking for a classic car in superior shape, you've found it. The 2L spiders are powerful cars, perhaps the most powerful in their class (ya ya ya "V8s are more powerful whydonchagetarealcar"), and this one's had a thorough going-through.

In this condition Alfas are quite reliable. They're not Honda-reliable, no, but they'll get you where you need to go. Definitely worth a look if you're considering a Miata-like thing in your midlife crisis but actually want to understand what's going on under the hood.

I got no financial interest in it, just a friend looking to help another find a good home for his buddy, etc.

Posted by scott at 12:01 PM eMail this entry!
Great Book

Go out and get Carnage and Culture. It's an amazing book, and very well written. I'm only 1/2 way through it and am extremely impressed. Much essay-fodder in there. :)

I'm now reading books specifically to give me stuff to write about on this site. I have no life...

Posted by scott at 11:13 AM eMail this entry!
November 28, 2002
Test Your Photo I.Q.

Think you know everything there is to know about telling the difference between fake photos on the internet versus real ones? Take this test and see just how smart you really are.

Posted by scott at 09:18 AM eMail this entry!
November 26, 2002
Thank God the PT is not an Option

Otherwise Jim might be tempted to vote for it, twice, on this poll, article, and slideshow on a baker's dozen of America's worst cars. I actually sort of liked the pacer when I was a little kid, but what does a 10 year old know anyway?

And I'm old enough to remember some of the later cars when they were new, and the automotive press was singing a different tune back then. It's funny how a journalist's attitude will change 180 degrees when the guys buying advertising aren't selling a particular product anymore. Consumer Reports may be reactionary and deeply in love with soulless Asian cars, but at least you can trust them.

No-prize to Pat!

Posted by scott at 09:21 AM eMail this entry!
November 25, 2002
My Next Car

Yeah, yeah, I know I know. New baby on the way, new responsibilities, you-just-better-get-your-priorities-straight-right-this-second-mister, etc. etc. ad nauseum.

Still, it's fun to dream, no?

Swiped shamelessly from overheardCams.org, the website of the Alfa Romeo Association. The car is a new ~$75k trollop currently only known as the "Evoluta".

Posted by scott at 01:17 PM eMail this entry!
Why That's So Very... WEEEIRRRDDD!

Jimspot has recommended to us an entire site full of bizzare stuff, Anomalies-Unlimited. It doesn't display right in Netscape (grrr...), but it is chock-full of weirdness. Thanks Jim!

Posted by scott at 11:15 AM eMail this entry!
Picture Perfect

Some Europeans are getting together to try to squash at least a few moon-conspiracy wackos. Personally, I think it would be even neater if they took pictures and found lots of tracks and footprints, but no vehicles. :)

Posted by scott at 09:26 AM eMail this entry!
November 23, 2002
Punch Out!

This one is for my brother Richie, who is a total Nintendo, X-box, Playstation FrEaK!.

I can remember when he had his first Nintendo and one of the games he had was Mike Tyson's PUNCH OUT!

This is the story behind the character Little Mac who you played to get up to Mike Tyson.

Posted by Ellen at 06:11 PM eMail this entry!
November 22, 2002
Can you Tell the Difference?

Well, I got a few of these wrong, but not many. Gah. I need to get out more.

Posted by scott at 11:26 AM eMail this entry!
Why We Have 24 Hour Days

Found this article explaining why we have 24 hour days.

Other interesting date facts:

  • The Babylonians counted days from sundown to sundown. The Jews who were dragged off during the captivity in the sixth century BC probably picked up the practice there, and have kept it ever since.
  • The Babylonians may have also given the Jews their seven day week, as the pentatuch (the first five books of the bible) is widely agreed to have been composed during the captivity. The Babylonians (whose society was more than two thousand years old at the time Moses got fished out of the Nile) had a day for each astronomical body they knew of... the five planets, the sun, and the moon.
  • September, October, November, and December got their names from the way they were written in the Julian (as in Julius Ceasar, who had it cooked up) Calendar: VIIber, VIIIber, IXber, Xber.
  • The Julian calendar year started on March 25th.
  • Slight mistakes in the Julian calendar built up over the centuries. By the sixteenth century it had got so bad Easter was being celebrated on the calendar nearly two full weeks before it was supposed to ocurr. The Gregorian calendar was created on comission of Pope Gregory XIII to correct these errors, and in 1582 ten days were simply excised from October to catch everyone up. You went to bed on October 4th and woke up on October 15th.
  • Protestants, being highly suspicious of this new "papist" calendar, decided not to adopt it for nearly two centuries. When they did, in 1752, another day's worth of mistakes had accumulated. Eleven days were dropped from September of that year.
  • Alaska didn't switch to the Gregorian calendar until the 1870s, when it was purchased from Russia by the United States.

See also this Ancestry.com article and this site on the 7-day week.

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
November 21, 2002
More Amazing Legos

Dedicated in memory of an adopted cat, the Abston Church of Christ is one helluva thing (as it were). All I ever managed to do with legos was stack them into walls or scatter them over the floor!

Posted by scott at 11:27 AM eMail this entry!
November 19, 2002
Forgotten New York

People look at the spectacular ruins of the Parthenon in Greece or the Forum in Rome and wonder, "why didn't they keep it up?" Then some ancient cemetery is found in downtown London or a statue in the center of an Italian city is found to be 2000 years old, and people wonder "how could they forget these things?"

Well folks, it's happening even to this day. We build over, wreck, discard, or neglect places and things even faster than the ancients did, many times for different reasons. Don't believe me? Check out Forgotten New York, a website dedicated to ferriting out the weird, neglected, forlorn remains of one of Americas oldest, largest cities.

Not to be missed:

And much more. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 03:42 PM eMail this entry!
November 13, 2002
Atomic Batteries to Power... Turbines to Speed...

Like nearly every other American kid in the late 60s and early 70s, I was a Batman freak. I was too young to see the series in first-run, or the movie in the theaters. In fact, I didn't realize there was a TV show and a movie until I was in college I think. Up until that time, I thought it was just a weird, cool show with a 2 hour premiere.

Anyway, turns out I'm not the only one to go nutsoid over the batmobile. 1966batmobile.com has just a ton of pictures and info on the coolest car to come out of the 60s. One tidbit: The batmobile was not based on a Chrysler sedan, but was actually an only slightly modified Lincoln one-off show car from the 1950s. It still survives, as apparently do the three replicas created during the series's run.

Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 01:25 PM eMail this entry!
November 12, 2002
Car of My Dreams

From an ad printed the same year as my car (1971). And it's even the right color! :)

Posted by scott at 09:33 AM eMail this entry!
November 08, 2002
Lizard Man

Jimspot has some pretty cool pics of his lizards up. Considering how Larry's crew seems to be dedicated to the extinction of all lizard kind, it's probably good they live on opposite sides of the country.

In our little corner of crazy (see DRAGON REPORTS), lizards are fundamentalist terrorists. Hm... this has potential...

Posted by scott at 03:45 PM eMail this entry!
November 06, 2002
You Want How Many Bags of Hot Sauce?!?

Anyone for a 1300 pound taco? It's as big as a bus! Cool!

Posted by scott at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
Best of the Best

Bigwig's got his latest Carnival of the Vanities up. Looking for something interesting/informative/weird/funny to read? Go here and have fun!

Posted by scott at 09:15 AM eMail this entry!
Laser Update

The Army is reporting the successful shootdown of a arty shell with a laser. No detail as to whether it's solid state or chemical.

Of course you know this is just a Zionist plot to deny peace-loving Islamists the ability to shell whomever they please, you decadent imperialist scum.

Posted by scott at 08:12 AM eMail this entry!
November 04, 2002
But Will it do Holographic Yellow?

BBCnews has this story about new developments in camoflage paints. Sound boring? How about a paint that a) "heals" itself of scratches and abrasions, b) tells the maintenance guy it needs a touchup, and c) can change colors so as to blend chameleon-like into the background. See, even paint can be interesting sometimes!

Posted by scott at 08:50 AM eMail this entry!
November 03, 2002
Flying Cows

Thanks to Gail who sent me this totally addictive game!!!!

Time to FLING cattle!

Gold-plated no prize for you!

Posted by Ellen at 04:20 PM eMail this entry!
October 31, 2002
Vampires of Mexico

Pat brings us this story on the vampire bats of Mexico. No-prize!

I'm surprised folks don't know about these things. Vampire bats were all the rage in the mid 70s as I recall, there certainly were quite a few articles on them in the kids magazines I read way back then. Again as I recall, they're actually supposed to make pretty decent pets.

Posted by scott at 10:16 AM eMail this entry!
October 30, 2002
Laser Summary

AvWeek has been covering this stuff for a couple of years now, but for those of you who don't feel like plunking $86/yr to get the thing here's a nice summary of where laser-based weapons are right now. Not laser guided, laser.

What is not reported here, but has been mentioned in AvWeek, is Israel seems to have already fielded a chem-based laser missle defense system, apparently deployed on the Syrian border (at least that's where it was last reported anyway).

Another thing not widely covered in the normal monkey media: Gulf War II will almost certainly premiere our new "directed energy" weapon systems which have quietly been brought out of the labs over the past year or so. From the (admittedly basic) descriptions given to the non-monkey press by those in the know, the systems work with microwaves to zap electronic gear. They're mounted on precision guided bodies (not bombs per-se, but probably shaped a lot like them) and are one-shot items.

The idea is superpowerful microwave radiation can fry anything with transistors in it, even stuff buried deep underground. These things deliver a burst of microwaves that fry things within a (classified) limited range. It's not clear if they can be directed or if it goes off in a sphere like a ghostly bomb.

The reason they aren't already mounting these things on F-16s and just pressing buttons is a) the range is really short right now and b) they aren't directional enough yet and would end up frying the electronics of the shooter, which would be annoying.

Posted by scott at 09:42 AM eMail this entry!
October 25, 2002
Will the Real USS Enterprise Please Stand Up

Had to get in at least one quickie before we left. Ever wonder why Enterprise is actually named Enterprise on the TV shows & movies? Well, I can't provide a firm answer myself, but I have a very strong feeling it had something to do with the only aircraft carrier to fight in all the major battles of the pacific.

No-prize to Jeff!

Posted by scott at 08:18 AM eMail this entry!
October 23, 2002
Pig Out!

A simple game sort of like rolling dice, but hey, it mentions razorbacks! Pig Out!

Posted by scott at 11:34 AM eMail this entry!
October 22, 2002
Snipe This, You Crazy #$@&!

Howzabout some hidden weaponry to make your commute more interesting? I'm sure the cops will become very excited if they saw this stuff in the back. Best use for an SUV yet!

Posted by scott at 01:59 PM eMail this entry!
October 19, 2002
I Needs My Shades

Yet another place I am not allowed to go. Actually, what works for me are mirrored shades. First, let's all just agree men are pigs, yes? So there I was, sitting on the beach reading a book next to my newly-minted, less-than-three-days-ago wife. I just happend to be at the top of the left page when a lady walks by in an... interesting... string bikini.

Immediately, out of the corner of my eye, I see Ellen's head SNAP rotate my direction, like a laser guided missile suddenly locking up. Her eyes narrowed and stared really hard.

Swear to God, all I could think of was "Don't move... don't move... it works on motion... it won't attack if you don't move..." Sure enough, she suddenly got this "Humpf!" face of triumph and went back to her reading.

Dodged a bullet that time!

Posted by scott at 07:30 PM eMail this entry!
October 18, 2002
I Want One. I Want One Bad

I'm just not sure where I'd put it. Maybe Richie or Jeff would help? Jeff's got a back yard!

Posted by scott at 04:02 PM eMail this entry!
Wouldn'tcha Know, We Just Bought a Damned Vacuum Cleaner

More useful than an aibo, more expensive than a broom, I present to you, roomba!

Posted by scott at 02:29 PM eMail this entry!
October 16, 2002
Ellen Will be Pleased

Sifl n' Olly continue Elvis-like to release new material after their demise. A whole season never aired is now available on DVD (and if that's not a use to stretch the medium I don't know what is), and a bunch of other things too!

Posted by scott at 08:58 AM eMail this entry!
October 15, 2002
Wallace and Gromit Return!

Your favorite claymation duo, Wallace and Gromit, have returned according to this BBCnews article! Woo-hoo! :)

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
October 12, 2002
Fun with Telescopes

BBCnews is carrying this story about a guy who used an 8" reflector and a webcam to take some pretty decent photos of the ISS.

When I was a kid I had one of those classic 3.5" refractor telescopes. As I recall it was $55 from Sears (in 1978 no small sum), a classic style you pointed one end at a star and looked through the other end.

I could never use it to look at stars because:

  • In the summer, when it was warm enough to stay out, giant man-eating mosquitos the size of my head could be heard discussing the best way to completely drain the small pink thing in the middle of the yard.
  • In the winter, it was too much of a b*tch manipulating the telescope with mittens on. Mom would also yell at me to come inside most of the time.
  • There was only one telescope, which meant instant battle-to-the-death competition with my brother. It's hard to look through a telescope when you're in a wrestling match.
  • It's quite a bit harder than it looks to get the thing pointed at anything interesting. A star through a telescope is still pretty much just a bright light.

So instead I used it to track airplanes. I'd scan the fall and spring sky for contrails all the time, and when I spotted one I'd snatch the scope out, follow the contrail up, then see what was making it. Most of the time it was some boring Delta flight or another, but I did also see a B-52, a Quantas jet, and what had to be either a Russian or British airliner (four jet engines mounted on the tail). So I did have fun with it after all.

We used to live so close to DC you didn't get much of a night sky. In all honesty we haven't had time to see what the sky looks like out here. Maybe we'll get another telescope some day.

Posted by scott at 01:21 PM eMail this entry!
October 10, 2002
Hairy Toes and The Lemonade Rhino

Joanie is one funny chick!

I came across her site via Jimspot our good blogger buddy who is harassing me about getting piccies up of my cruiser. (Down boy! Down!!! Pictures soon!)

Anyway, you HAVE to check Joanie out. Especially since she has recently trimmed her bush.

Posted by Ellen at 08:09 PM eMail this entry!
Saturn V on DVD

Spacecraft Films just released a 3 DVD set exclusively on the Saturn V. As I understand it, it's a compilation of all the raw footage along with features and interviews. Maybe I'll finally spot my dad on one of those things...

Posted by scott at 02:35 PM eMail this entry!
October 09, 2002
Advertising Works

We have the URL to our website on the back of our car and darned if it didn't convince an unwary traveler to visit our site! Welcome Paul C. !

Those of you wanting to see what our car actually looks like still need to bug Ellen (and/or Battie & Skully, who actually have digital photos of it but haven't got around to e-mailing them to us yet *hint* *hint*) :) :) :)

Posted by scott at 04:02 PM eMail this entry!
October 07, 2002
A Weighty Subject

Got a gearhead in your life? Then they'll probably find this massive table of engine and transmission weights very interesting. From Alfa to Yamaha, Allison to Wright, it's all in there.

Posted by scott at 02:04 PM eMail this entry!
October 01, 2002
Cruiser

My car got done this Saturday. It is too friggin cool for words! I have gotten lots of compliments, lots of questions on how it was done. We just say, it was a lot of work involved physically and several weeks (months maybe?) for the design alone.

Who did my car? Demon Wurkz did. 2 very original people that put 100% into their work. Plus they are pretty damned cool to hang out with too.

What I had done: 2 very large skeletal cats stalking a skeletal rat on each side of the car. The rat alone was 28 inches long so you can get a scale on how big this design actually is. The cat? The cat covers from the front door all the way around the back of the car on each side. Yes, the hood design previously placed up is on the car too. And of course, we had to advertise AMCGLTD.

The cost? A lot :) But well worth it in my eyes. I have an ORIGIONAL design on my miniature hearse-like car and it makes me smile every time I look at it now. No one else has a cruiser like mine.

Pictures? Yeah, well we are working on that. We just bought a house, and getting a digital camera is the last thing on our minds. Hopefully pictures will be up soon on our site and of course Demon Wurks will place it up on theirs to show off their work.

Should I also be telling you that I have paid in advance for my tattoo design by them too? Hrm...perhaps get my car design on my arm? Tempting ya know.

Thanks to Damion and Kris, my car is totally bitchin now.

--Ellen

Posted by scott at 07:30 PM eMail this entry!
Blog Elder Turns 5

Happy Birthday Slashdot! The site you love to hate (or barely understand at all), where News for Nerds gathered a group of erudite anarchists and elitist hacker wannabees and molded them into one of the first, best sources of sci-tech news on the planet. The moderation system on comments is to this day one of the most innovative and effective solutions I've ever seen for the "chaff vs. wheat" problem of community management. They're one of our "blog parents", even though they (*sniff*, *sniff*) never call anymore.

They even managed to keep Katz quiet for, what, nearly six months now! Woo-hoo!

Update: Turns out yesterday was mellie's blog's birthday. Melbernai was the first blog to link to ours, an old friend from on-line days. Happy blog-day all!

Posted by scott at 10:20 AM eMail this entry!
September 30, 2002
Who the Tinfoil Hat Brigade Love to Call

Space.com's carrying this article about what it's like to answer the phones over at the Kennedy Space Center.

We get a lot of the same types of phone calls. It's surreal to try and talk with someone who has such a completely cracked view of the world.

Posted by scott at 11:08 AM eMail this entry!
September 25, 2002
A Satisifed Customer

One of our first customers at the AMCGLTD store got their stuff, and here's what they have to say:

I received all my stuff today. I am very please with all items. They seem to be high quality. I am especially pleased with the mug, tote bag and mouse pad. I mean a shirt is a shirt and a hat is a hat. I had seven items ordered, all of them received as ordered. Terrific packing just an all around professional job.

Yeah, ok, the customer is my mom, but she's a pretty tough cookie when it comes to on-line shopping. You should see her e-bay checklist!

So order your stuff today! All the cups and mugs are on sale right now, and you get free UPS ground shipping on every order! Don't just stand there, buy something! :)

Update: It's actually free shipping on orders over $50. So buy more! :)

Posted by scott at 08:29 AM eMail this entry!
September 24, 2002
Kickball Comeback?

It'd been so long since I'd played kickball I had to read the summary in this report to be reminded. I recall kickball as yet another way to embarass a little kid not any good at athletics. But who knows, now I'm grown up I make actually like the darned thing.

"Red Rover" and the perennial dodgeball were two other games I remember, allthough I'm not sure I remember all the rules.

Posted by scott at 02:48 PM eMail this entry!
September 23, 2002
A Clockwork Bronze

The Economist is carrying this article on the " Antikythera mechanism", a mysterious lump of bronze clockwork discovered off the coast of the small Greek island of Antikythera in 1900. I'd heard of the thing before, but never in such detail.

Posted by scott at 08:25 AM eMail this entry!
September 22, 2002
No Bars for Buzz

Well, looks like Buzz is a free man. Says he was defending himself, which, from the various descriptions of what happened, sounds like it might be true. Or at least, true from an annoyed "get this wack out of my face" way. ;) Go Buzz!

Update: BBCnews has more details here.

Posted by scott at 08:23 AM eMail this entry!
September 21, 2002
House Stuff

When you become a homeowner, you instantly become a lover of Home Depot.

Scott and I spent 1.5 hours in the store with our mouths dragging on the floor looking at all the possibilities we can do to our place. (not that it needs much, but it's nice to look at)

We spent 5 hours in our new house WAITING for the cable guy who NEVER showed up. (do these guys EVER show up to a job? Do any of them speak English that is understandable?) I made it very clear to the cable people NOT to call my home number because that is the apt number and not the house number. I made it very clear that we do not have a house number yet. Do they listen? NO.

Now I have to get nasty to the cable people this week.

We also met our new neighbor today who was very positive on how we are REALLY going to like our neighborhood.

Scott and I return to the house in the morning to set up internet stuff and switch some fixtures (ie-towl and tp rack) and chose paint colors.

Keep ya posted!

Posted by scott at 10:05 PM eMail this entry!
Miss America Hears Again

ABCnews is carrying this story about Heather Whitestone McCallum, the first Miss America with a disability, who recently underwent surgery to restore her hearing.

Posted by scott at 07:22 AM eMail this entry!
September 20, 2002
Car Design

Scott and I got invited to the Demon Wurkz headquarters (9 flights down from us) to check out how my car design gets cut into the vinyl, and how they cut the image out and prep it for the car.

More work than you think goes into it. Not only the prep work, but the design itself. It's an origional creation from someone.

What was truely amazing was how BIG the vinyl cut-outs are. The hood design is huge! (or maybe it's because I really never looked at my hood and realized how big it was) The little skeleton rats that run in front of the stalking cat are 28 inches long alone. (BIG) Not only big, but the detail is unbelievable. Even the cats, lots of detail.

Ok, well, we did not spend all night just watching vinyl get cut. Drinks and showing off computer gear and what's going into the next City Morgue Magazine went on too. (rather fun night) Scott and I enjoy other human contact.

Hopefully the car will be done next week! WOOHOO!!! And then I will post up piccies! :)

Posted by Ellen at 01:52 PM eMail this entry!
September 19, 2002
The Cruise Critic

Ellen's been on a few cruises, she likes them a lot. I've never been on any, but it sounds interesting enough. This year we're doing the house thing (or rather, hoping to do the house thing), but maybe after that we can save up for a cruise. For those of you already planning, I present The Cruise Critic website, a neat compendium site with all sorts of useful tips.

Posted by scott at 11:12 AM eMail this entry!
September 16, 2002
Spider to Meet Spout Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the day when this robot spider's gonna crawl up that weird shaft in the great pyramid to see what's behind Door #1. Betcha it meets another wall or just keeps heading up into the darkness.

This also marks our 1000th post at AMCGLTD. We'd like to take this time to thank all of our fans who regularly visit and participate, and all the people who have mentioned us on their own blogs from time to time. Without you guys this thing just wouldn't be worth doing. Thanks and come back often!

Posted by scott at 09:28 AM eMail this entry!
September 15, 2002
WOW!!! Now you know!

Ever wonder why when you press on your eyes you see a light show? (NO, I don't push on my eyes on a regular basis for fun)

This is a neat explanation on how it happens.

NEAT!

Posted by Ellen at 03:54 PM eMail this entry!
September 14, 2002
Neat Car Stuff

This is what one of the details of my car WILL look like. The image will go on the front hood:

Posted by Ellen at 09:01 PM eMail this entry!
September 10, 2002
Heyy-yaa HUP!!!

Zahi is at it again! Remember the Nova special when they drove a minirover up a weird shaft inside the great pyramid to see where it went, only to find it ended in a little copper-handled plug? Well, they're making a new rover to crawl up there and see what might be on the other side. As Ellen would say, nEaT!

Posted by scott at 05:54 PM eMail this entry!
September 09, 2002
Artificial Heart Recipient Nears Anniversary

How neat is this.

Imagine getting a heart, not of tissue but of bits of space age stuff and other cool bits and it WORKS. It works longer than ANYONE expected.

Science has come a long way. Maybe one day Ted will get his new heart.

Posted by Ellen at 07:20 PM eMail this entry!
What IS the Weakest Link?

Ernie over at Little. Yellow. Different. got himself on The Weakest Link and wrote up his impression of the show. Hollywood is fake beyond your wildest dreams.

Posted by scott at 10:13 AM eMail this entry!
September 07, 2002
Our Gang Resources

Amazing what you'll find when you get off your butt and do a little research. I used to watch Our Gang/Little Rascals religiously as a kid, and most of my friends did too. They're on again, broadcasting on AMC. Ellen's mom still watches them, even though Ellen thinks they're more than a little weird. I always wondered what happened to everyone, and now I've found out a bit:

Spanky, whose real name was George McFarland, was never a porn star, which was a big rumor when I was in college. After many setbacks it seems he went to work for Philco-Ford television, became an executive, and retired. He died in Grapevine Texas in 1993.

Alfalfa, whose real name was Carl Switzer, ended up getting shot and killed on January 21st, 1959 at the age of 31. The stories are conflicting, but it would seem he went the classic route of too many child actors: not being able to get work, turning to drugs and alcohol, and then ending up dead over something stupid. A more detailed, if sensational, version is here

Buckwheat, whose real name was William Thomas, stopped acting and became a Technicolor technician for more than 20 years. Nobody associated with Our Gang even knew what became of him until 1974. He died of a heart attack in 1980 at the age of 49. A nice tribute page can be found here.

Styme, whose real name was Matthew Beard, kept acting with a moderate amount of success, in later life starring in films like the "Buddy Holly Story" and doing guest spots on shows like "Good Times". He died in 1981. A good career summary is here, and an "official" website is here.

Darla Hood, who played the comic foil for most of the "He-Man Woman-Haters Club"'s antics, found work later in life as a background singer for radio programs, and eventually did voice work for commercials. She died of acute hepatitis under "mysterious circumstance" after a "minor operation" on June 13, 1979. She was only 47 years old. A brief summary of her career is here, and this site, that appears to be in Portugese, has some nice photos of her later in life. If you can get past the annoying music that is.

There were others of course, Jackie Cooper and Robert Blake being the most famous, but these were the ones I remember as a kid. The series went on for something like 22 years, so I've probably missed your favorites. The best overall site for Little Rascals information is Our Gang Online, although it doesn't look to have been updated lately.

So there you have it. "Real Hollywood Stories" it ain't, but interesting nonetheless. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 11:56 AM eMail this entry!
September 06, 2002
Another Invention Just a Little Too Late

NASA is now working with a pharmaceutical company to test drugs to prevent kidney stones and bone loss. Just a little too late for ol' mom, who just went through the more standard way of getting rid of them.

Posted by scott at 09:35 AM eMail this entry!
September 05, 2002
Gotta Love That Old Atari

Slashdot featured this site that contains a bunch of old video game commercials. My mom still tells stories about successful and not-so-successful quests for video games. And yes, Collecovision was better than Atari, but dammit we were loyal!

Posted by scott at 10:38 AM eMail this entry!
September 04, 2002
Neanderthal Skeleton

I thought of Scott when I saw this.

Posted by Ellen at 03:12 PM eMail this entry!
Daily Report Blog

Like the "Onion"? This site is kinda like that.

This site grabs 'headline' type stories/news/diaries and posts them like the Weekly World News!

Pretty neat. Check it out. We have even made it on the US Daily Report!

Posted by Ellen at 12:30 PM eMail this entry!
FACT!

A really neat Fact page. This will keep you busy for HOURS!

Posted by Ellen at 10:58 AM eMail this entry!
September 03, 2002
My Dream House

I think even Ellen would be interested in a house like this as long as she could hang her cat stuff all over the walls. Amazing what an essentially unlimited budget can bring you.

Actually though, you can get most, if not all, of this in your own home using commonly available gadgets and a basic PC without spending a helluva lot of money. I'll do some research and return with links later on...

Posted by scott at 11:49 AM eMail this entry!
Drive-Through Chicken

So now even China is getting into drive-throughs. Ellen still thinks it's weird that southern liquor stores have drive-through windows. It was just part of the scenery where I grew up.

I remember working with a doctoral candidate from China once. We were both pizza delivery guys (he'd make more in pizza delivery than he'd get from the University). He was old enough to have "waved a red book" (his words) for Mao in the 60s. He said in China places like McDonalds are considered "luxury" restaraunts because they are so expensive. He remembered people getting married there because it seemed "American".

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
September 02, 2002
Do We Call Them, or What

It's getting a little weird by now. I'll write an essay about something, then within a week someone with more authority writes another essay essentially confirming (or occasionally directly denying) what I wrote. For the most recent example, compare Cultural Traditions to this superb article analyzing the effects of Arab culture on their attempts to field modern armies.

"Developing" (what I would term "traditional") cultures time and again want just enough western technology to give them an edge on the rest of the world, be it their corner or the world en toto. They simply do not, perhaps cannot, understand that to be effective with western tools you must adapt at least some western ideals. Failing to do so simply results in expensive toys nobody knows how to use.

A bank shot via Yourish, who, to me at least, is rapidly becoming a valuable voice (albeit an openly biased one) in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Posted by scott at 07:29 PM eMail this entry!
August 31, 2002
The Car Richie Really Wants

Wanna landspeeder? You know, like on Star Wars? No, really, do you want a landspeeder? Much more fun than the blockade runner. You don't have to mount this on a trailer.

Posted by scott at 06:47 PM eMail this entry!
August 29, 2002
Japanese Sub Found

This AP story reports they've found the first of the Japanese "minisubs" that tried to attack during the Pearl Harbor raid. In spite of the press monkey calling it a battleship, I'm pretty sure it was a destroyer that sank the thing. Is that right, Jeff?

Posted by scott at 09:13 AM eMail this entry!
August 28, 2002
Oh, Poor Apu, Poor Apu

Stole this story (free registration required, blah blah blah) about the "soopa vendo-matic" from Slashdot. "Madam's Organ" is only a ten-minute metro ride from here. Anybody want some chips?

Posted by scott at 02:30 PM eMail this entry!
August 27, 2002
What a Great Idea

Baseball on strike? How about going to a soccer game instead? I don't understand most of the rules of soccer, but it seems interesting enough to take a look for that price! Spread this one around, maybe we can get a movement going.

Most pro sports are outrageous today. My brother takes us to one Orioles baseball game a year. I wanted to return the favor by taking them to a Redskins game (neither of us really care who wins, we just like to get out). The problem is even cheap-seat Redskin tickets are, like $50. EACH.

Posted by scott at 07:39 PM eMail this entry!
August 24, 2002
A New Home for an Old Lifeform

Me, I'm curious too how this Amazon river jellyfish managed to end up in Yorkshire. Wouldn't the little buggers freeze completely in winter?

Posted by scott at 07:15 PM eMail this entry!
August 23, 2002
Did I Get Told Off?

I'm not sure, because he doesn't come out and actually mention us, but intentional or not this post from right-wing news is actually a pretty good refutation of the American attitudes I expressed in Pax Americanum (see highlights). Probably my narcissism getting the better of me again. :)

Still, a good read!

Posted by scott at 10:57 AM eMail this entry!
August 20, 2002
You Never Know, You Made Need This Some Day

Ok, lissen up folks, be sure to read up on nudist etiquette before visiting! Actually, seems kinda common-sense to me.

Got it from, appropriately enough, nakedwriting.com.

Posted by scott at 11:06 AM eMail this entry!
August 19, 2002
Yeah, I'd be Pretty Cranky Too

Well, at least one prague zoo resident managed to make it out alive. Of course, hippos swim, so there was hope for him. As I understand it, some of the big animals had to be put down because they couldn't be removed and would've drowned otherwise. No good choices there.

But at least they found the hippo!

Another one, this time about an eagle with a new artificial beak. I think I saw this on TV somewhere though.

Double no-prize today goes to Jeff. Thanks :)

Posted by scott at 01:12 PM eMail this entry!
August 18, 2002
Pepsi Blue

I tried the new Pepsi Blue today. I snuck a bottle of it in the movie theater along with other fun movie munchies.

All I can say is that Scott and I came upon the agreement that it tastes like a blue slushy that you get at the 7-11. Yes, the blue raspberry flavor. Thats it. Nothing special. At least the slushy will make your mouth and tongue blue. This doesn't.

As far as the movie goes. We saw *Signs*. Yeah, Ok, it was creepy. I screamed OUT LOUD *very loud that made other peopel jump* a total of 3 times.

I suggest you see it. *CrEEpY~*

Posted by Ellen at 03:21 PM eMail this entry!
August 15, 2002
Worms 3 is Coming!

According to this gamespot article, Worms 3 will be coming in 2003! Woo-hoo!

Yeah, I know, you don't know what the heck I'm talking about. "Worms" is a combat game where teams of, well, cartoon worms do battle with each other using increasingly powerful and uncontrollable weaponry. The first team to eliminate all the other teams wins, but the challenge is often trying not to blow your team up in the process. Ellen and I spent many a fun night playing "kill the wine bottle" with this game. Alcohol, violence, and homicidal nematodes made for a heady combination.

Posted by scott at 11:55 AM eMail this entry!
Skool Daze Follow-Up

Anyone who doubted the main thrust of "Skool Daze", that education is the key to liberty and prosperity, and that we all have a stake in making sure every smart kid gets a chance no matter what they happen to look like, should read this story about the Indian province of Kerala. That's a cross-cultural proof right there folks, the best kind.

Posted by scott at 09:10 AM eMail this entry!
August 14, 2002
Diamond Conspiracy

I don't think I've ever seen anything bring out the rabble like this 'ask slashdot' article on diamonds. Most /. discussions grab ~ 250, a real cage-rattler will bring out ~450. This one got 1550. Lots of good discussion, but you'll probably want to set the comment filter on 4 like I do to separate the wheat from the chaff (the comment filter is the a#1 best thing about slash... I love it to death).

Posted up here because we have at least two regular readers who are rabid diamond consumers. One of them happens to be my co-author. :)

Update: Don't miss this one. Sounds like a lot of conversations I have in my house.

Posted by scott at 02:38 PM eMail this entry!
Must... Have... Balance...

Ok, we've linked up to one left-wing wacko (I love ya Maru, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em), and one ambiguous wacko (Aaron still hasn't even admitted to being male or female to me yet, although I have my suspicions). So we now proudly present RachelLucas.com, a conservative wacko who is so far to the right side of the circle she can wave at Maru on the other end. I say that with affection! I have yet to see such a well written conservative site with which I can be entertained while still disagreeing with almost everything she writes. Completely without pretension, Rachel says the most outrageous things and seems quite willing to armwrestle with you if you disagree. Those who have lived in or near the place won't be surprised at all to find out she's a Texan, and damned proud of it.

But I want to make darned sure she and Maru never actually meet in person. I get this feeling if they shook hands the explosion that resulted would take out most of the city they were in.

Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
August 09, 2002
Bands We Never Heard Of

I remember reading in the post months ago that "Croutching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was a big hit in the states but was a relative flop in China. Chinese criticised the movie as "too Asian". Well guess what? It's a cross-cultural thing, not just something specific to Americans liking things that are "too much" about some other culture.

That's what I like about foreign films & TV. Oh, not the weird French things where they just stare at each other in black and white for an hour and a half. I'm talking about things like Japanese Anime, Hong-Kong chop-sake movies, Italian comedies, Telenovelas, and British TV comedy. By stepping just a half-stride back you can get some entertaining and not-always-obvious insights into both cultures.

Posted by scott at 10:54 AM eMail this entry!
August 08, 2002
Frontier House Follow-Up

We just [finished -- mom] watching Frontier House, an American adaptation of a fascinating BBC concept (1900 house). In Frontier House, three families are given more or less exactly what families homesteading in Montana had in 1886, and we get to watch what happens (in 1900 house they lived as a family would in London in the year 1900). It was extremely interesting, so if you see it in your local listings be sure to watch.

Anyway, turns out one of the family members eventually went right back (linked to the google cache because I can't find the original article). If you watched the show, you probably won't be surprised who it is.

UPDATE Found this much more detailed account on the Bozeman Chronicle.

Posted by scott at 02:56 PM eMail this entry!
August 06, 2002
The Internet Debacle

Janis Ian wrote two very interesting articles about the music industry and the "Internet Debacle" they "face":

The Internet Debacle
Fallout

What makes them so interesting is they're coming from what I guess you'd call the "blue collar" portion of the music industry: someone who is a known, successful artist who makes a good (but not wonderful) living working hard entertaining people because that's what they love to do.

I can say for myself that I've stopped buying CDs because they're just too damned expensive. When they first came out, the prices were $17.99 and were justified because there were only two factories in the world capable of making them. Twenty years later the kind of back-shelf music I want to buy is still $17.99 (or higher), while AOL carpet-bombs the country with CDs cheaper than the bulk-rate postage they're mailed out on.

I got a CD player in 1984, a second-generation Emerson unit that was an absolute steal at $198.99 at the local Wal-Mart. As a teenager with disposable income and no rent, I ended up with the largest CD collection of anyone I knew for years. Whenever I had spare cash I'd always try to pick up at least two discs. One day my college roommate pointed out he always knew when I had spare cash because I brought home new CDs. It was then I realized that CDs were taking up all my spare cash. I think I've perhaps bought one or two a year ever since.

If I could buy four CDs and only spend $20, I'd pick up at least two a week for the rest of my life. You see, I'm one of those a**holes who can tell the difference between an MP3 and a CD, and I spent $$$ on a stereo system to prove it. The sound difference, to me at least, is huge. I'd love to pick up a copy of the Cowboy Beebop soundtrack, for example, because I downloaded a copy and really liked what I heard. But the only place I can find it wants $21.95 for it. $21.95 when I know it only cost $.05 cents to make. I just won't do it.

I once asked the rabid teenage music downloader I know (you know, one of the ones that are "crushing" a multi-billion dollar industry) if she'd be willing to pay $5 for a CD of any artist she downloaded for free. Without even blinking she said "absolutely".

Got the links from Jeff, who's going to need a new shelf for all the no-prizes he's getting.

Posted by scott at 09:58 AM eMail this entry!
August 05, 2002
Interesting NSA news

Bob Cringely wrote this interesting article on pay grade changes at our intelligence services. I know someone who worked at the NSA for a long long time but recently switched over to a contract position. I wonder what their take on this article would be?

Posted by scott at 10:16 AM eMail this entry!
Another ComputerGeek(tm) Entry

To a network admin, a DOS boot floppy is sort of like the windsheild wiper on a car... you don't need it often, but when you do you need it now. Of course, Micro$oft in its infinite wisdom has worked it so you can't get new versions of Windows to create boot floppies. This is something Jeff and I have been wondering about for years. Now I've found a much better answer than to keep a win95 box chugging along in the corner somewhere:

bootdisk.com. Found it over at transterrestrial musings.

Posted by scott at 09:43 AM eMail this entry!
August 02, 2002
Forest Bug

To me, this thing looks like a giant scorpion. Of course, the guys over at slashdot all pitched it as a Star Wars AT-AT prototype.

Posted by scott at 10:12 AM eMail this entry!
Essay Follow-Up

While researching Snake Oil I came across two very interesting sites that I figured deserved links in their own right:

The James Randi Educational Foundation is run by James "the Amazing" Randi, a guy who's been debunking psychics and other charlatans for years.

Miss Cleo Unmasked (scroll down a bit to get to the actual article) is an interesting first-person account of someone who actually worked for our favorite valley-girl-turned-Jamaican-psychic.

Both well worth a look. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 08:45 AM eMail this entry!
August 01, 2002
I want one. I want it bad

If I had $1 for every consultant that breezed into my office and turned my professional life upside down and then merrily breezed out... well, I wouldn't be rich, but I'd certainly rather have the $1.

Latest debacle: paper MCSE (certification) comes in and realizes that he can't understand a network I've grown for the past six years. A network that can support a nationwide non-profit full of social work majors1 with 99% uptime and just one (me) IT person for 1/10th what, say, Lockheed-Martin would've paid for it. Yeah, it's complicated, yeah, it's quirky, yeah, it's got 12 servers, yeah, it's got Linux, Novell, and Windows NT on it. But it works. And it's consistent enough that I could teach any techie with some network experience how to keep it running in a week or so.

So, one consultant meeting with the executive director later and, while on vaction, I get a note saying: "I [the executive director with a psych degree] have determined that we must move as quickly as possible to an all-windows 2000 network structure. Please have a migration plan on my desk next week. Your target date is [three months from now] for completion of this project."2.

So I want one of these. Maybe six or seven so I can give them to friends. Or mail them to other consultants with, like, dismemberd floppies inside or something.

Found it on Little. Yellow. Different.

Posted by scott at 10:06 AM eMail this entry!
July 31, 2002
Islam Follow-Up

Found this interesting rebuttal to the Jihad essay I posted about yesterday. Blogging is cool. I thought these slow-motion debates about issues in journals only happened in the bloodsport of professional academia. For some reason we haven't got caught up in any yet, probably because we don't write so much about current issues. I think it makes us charming, or at least interesting in a so-that's-what-garlic-looks-like-when-you-drop-it-in-horse-poo sort of way. :)

This one was a cool double-bank shot. Found via maru, who got a nice writeup at publicNuisance (kudos maru!), who linked to the article.

Posted by scott at 07:33 PM eMail this entry!
Naked Writing & Etc.

Found nakedwriting.com from the review place that gave us a really good review. It's kind of a mix of Catholic-baiting (which Ellen should like), Bush-zapping (which Maru, mom & Jeff should like), and evolution-explaining (which I like). Jodyw1 seems to be a secular-humanist AIDS activist, with an unusual fascination with Lance Bass. Be sure to check him out! :)

(It didn't hurt he said nice things about us, but he could comment here once in awhile)

Jimspot also moved us to "must read", which I guess means we're doing something right. I check his site out every day too, if for no other reason than he has good taste in blogs and I've found a few regular reads over there.

Thanks guys! And thanks also to all of our other regular readers. Without you guys this whole thing wouldn't be worth doing!

Posted by scott at 07:04 PM eMail this entry!
July 30, 2002
Get Thee to a Madrassa

Muslimpundit.com just posted an extremely interesting essay on the real meaning of "Jihad". Note: essay is quite long, so be ready to dedicate some time to it. At first I thought it repudiated my "firefight" essay (see HIGHLIGHTS) rather stoutly, but on completion I'm not so sure.

Definitely a blog of note, if he starts updating more than once a quarter anyway :).

Found it as a bank-shot from LynnUnleashed.

Posted by scott at 01:03 PM eMail this entry!
July 29, 2002
R2D2 Lives!

Slashdot noted this cool item about an upcoming R2D2 model. Actually, consider aibo and his ilk, I'm surprised it took this long for someone to come up with it. Probably something to do with Lucas licen$ing fees. I especially like the model holding the beer can.

Do any of our readers actually own an Aibo? Ellen, predictably, wants the cat one (we've linked to it once or twice, go into the CAT archives to find), but I think that one looks more than a little strange.

Posted by scott at 11:31 AM eMail this entry!
Cringely on Ebay

Bob Cringely has this interesting commentary on e-bay and its effect on the economy.

I think everyone goes through this period of e-bay discovery. At first it's all tacky and hard to use and intimidating. Then you find a few things, set up a paypal account, and suddenly you've got 30 bids going at once every day, some on sh*t you don't really even want. And then you come to your senses, use e-bay as a tool, and go outside once in awhile.

We're still waiting on my mom to reach step 3. She's one of those e-bay vultures who swoop in at the last second to grab things up. She's even got these fancy computer widgets that do it automatically now!

Posted by scott at 09:20 AM eMail this entry!
July 28, 2002
Skateboarding Tortise

Ever wonder how a tortise can get around fast?

Posted by Ellen at 06:50 PM eMail this entry!
July 26, 2002
Miracle Dog

This story, sent by Jeff (I'll bring your no-prize when I come visit next), proves 2 things: 1) Laboradors are the dumbest dogs on the planet (sweet, yes, but stoopid) and 2) God protects the stupid. Still, it's nice to know the dog was OK. Note also the use of microchips, which my wife highly recommends.

Posted by scott at 10:00 AM eMail this entry!
July 25, 2002
Scott's Toy Store

Found this site on one of my e-mail digests. I especially like the 6c 2500, "only" Eu 125,000 (about $125,000 US). Gotta get my checkbook out...

Posted by scott at 12:18 PM eMail this entry!
Beer Train!

Those Japanese, they think of everything. First toilets that wash your bum, now beer trains!. No bathrooms on the train though, gotta be quick during the stops!

Posted by scott at 12:10 PM eMail this entry!
July 23, 2002
Voices from the Bloggosphere

I'm learning to bank-shot my way through various blogs. Great stuff. For instance, I found this great 9-11 article via LynnUnleashed, whom I found because she commented on one of the essays (Intellectual Arrogance, below).

I'm linking to both becase a) I wanted to show my mom that Ellen isn't the only one who swears creatively on the internet and b) Lynn is cool. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
July 22, 2002
Ellen & Stryker... Separated at Birth?

I never thought I'd see the day when I found someone as congenitally angry, and funny, as my wife. Then I found Sgt. Stryker.com. It's like reading a testosterone'd version of my sweetie (heh... bet he never thought anyone'd call him "sweetie"). Gotta get these two together. Ammm... well, on second thought, maybe not... :)

Posted by scott at 07:50 PM eMail this entry!
Yo! Peeps!

Wanted to give a shout out to Jimspot, who said some nice things about us (even if he did imply we had a psychosis), and has a pretty decent blog going. Jimspot gets an honorary no-prize for being the very first person to ask probably the most obvious question about this blog.

Yet more proof that even guys can blog sometimes. Normal guys. :)

Posted by scott at 07:39 PM eMail this entry!
Cowboy Beebop Movie!

Ok, fess up, just when did they make a Cowboy Beebop movie?!? Premieres nationwide in 2003. Can't wait!

Bad dog! No Biscuit!

Posted by scott at 12:22 PM eMail this entry!
Why I Love Alfa Romeo

Swear to god Alfa was the only company in the world crazy enough to put this thing in the back of their sedans. For those not in the know, that's a DeDion rear axle assembly. It's a way of giving your car that last extra bit of high-performance handling without the need to worry about whether the wheels will knuckle under just as you hit the apex of a corner (cf Corvair, Nader, Ralph, "unsafe at any speed").

There were only two production automobiles in the world (that I know of) in the 1980s to have this setup. One was the Alfa Milano (75 in Europe). The other one?

Aston Martin.

Posted by scott at 12:05 PM eMail this entry!
July 21, 2002
Homebuilt Observatories

NY Times is running this story about amateur astronomers building their own observatories in their back yard. Years ago my brother bought an enourmous home telescope, I think a 12"-er. It was so big it really needed to be set up permanently, but that wasn't going to happen in their small town-home. Now he lives out in the middle of nowhere, with a great big back yard. Hey, this sounds like a project for ya Jeff!

Posted by scott at 11:44 AM eMail this entry!
July 19, 2002
I'm Just Here for the Food Review

For those of you who haven't bought Alton Brown's (host of Good Eats) new book, I'm Just Here for the Food, Slashdot has this review. He's a good guy. Buy his book, and do it through our link so we'll get a bit of change in the bargain :).

Posted by scott at 11:14 AM eMail this entry!
July 17, 2002
Mechwarrior 4 News

Gamecenter is running this story about the upcoming mechwarrior 4 expansion. It'd be good to get the team of SS, FS, and Slack back together. One couldn't hit, one couldn't move, and one couldn't shoot. :)

Posted by scott at 05:02 PM eMail this entry!
July 16, 2002
Not Just the Tip

And hot on Maru's heels is Pat's submission of this really neat picture of an iceberg. Two no-prizes in one day!

Posted by scott at 06:13 PM eMail this entry!
The $2002 Race

The Alfa Romeo Owner's Club has this cool article about the $2002 challenge. The task? Put together a car for no more than $2002 dollars and then compete in a drag race, an autocross, and a concours (non-gearhead translation: fancy car show). They came in 8th with a spider! Woo-hoo!

Posted by scott at 11:56 AM eMail this entry!
July 15, 2002
WTC Site News

Jeff sent me this story about news on how New York City is planning on re-developing the WTC site. But this is just a start. I'll be amazed if the plans don't get tied up in court for years a-la the WWII memorial down here in D.C. When you have this many people with this much passionate interest, it's going to be bugger-all to please them enough not to sue.

Posted by scott at 03:23 PM eMail this entry!
Alfa-zilla

This site has cool pictures of an Alfa Romeo engine after it has been all rebuilt and cleaned nice and pretty. There's also a cute kitty for Ellen! The main restoration site is here

My Spider's motor is getting up there, starting to burn a bit of oil. I may do this to it in ~5 years or so.

Posted by scott at 10:00 AM eMail this entry!
July 14, 2002
Sesame Street

Just when you thought Sesame Street couldn't be more politically correct, they go and decide to add an HIV Positive muppet with uber high self esteem.

So far they have deaf, blind, handicapped, you name it muppets. Now they want to add one more. Mind you this character will be set in S. Africa where HIV is pretty high. *will they be teaching monogamy and safe sex too??* No word yet when this character will hit the U.S.A.

Thanks to my sister* Neenah*, who thought this would be a neat addition to the site.

Posted by Ellen at 08:59 AM eMail this entry!
July 13, 2002
Proof Media = Stupid Gits

I've been ranting about how dippy and lazy most journalists in "mainstream" media are, now abcnews.com (OH! THE IRONY!) has proof (readme, part of nyu.edu, also has this article about skaggs)

This sort of thing has happened before, but in an even more embarassing (for the media) way. In 1994 we had the Jammal Ark Hoax.

These stories and others, combined with the way my bunch writes and uses press releases, has revealed to me the vast majority of "objective journalists" don't do much more than sit beside fax machines and regurgitate things that advocacy organization, people with axes to grind, write for them.

And we're not just talking about the Dumas Clarion or the Fayetteville Observer. Places like the Washington Post, New York Times, all the major TV news networks (the morning programs especially), and even most radio outlets have fallen victim to these things many, many times.

Your mother always told you not to believe everything you read (of course my mother says it holding an Enquirer). I just hope these stories will give you some concrete proof as to why.

Posted by scott at 09:06 AM eMail this entry!
July 12, 2002
30 Day Accessibility Guide

For all you bloggers out there who don't check the Movable Type website, they've got a really cool article series called 30 days to a more acccessible weblog. We've implemented a few of these things as of now. Some are a little beyond me, but if you, as a viewer, think they'd help please comment below and we'll work a lot harder to incorporate them. Enjoy!

Posted by scott at 01:29 PM eMail this entry!
July 11, 2002
Bin Ladenism, if not Bin Laden, is Dead

Mom sent me this interesting article about how Bin Laden"-ism" if not Bin Laden himself, is dead.

This rational was almost exactly what my dad gave last time he visited... Bin Laden is almost certainly dead because that's just about the only way you can get an egomaniac like that to shut the hell up. I tend to agree.

Posted by scott at 12:46 PM eMail this entry!
Atari Adventure

I think we had Atari Adventure when we were kids. We had pretty much every other 2600 game we could lay our hands on. Now you can play it on the net!. Hey Jeff, do you remember playing this one?

And, yes, this was the height of computer graphics in 1978. I mean... look at how realistic those dragons were! :)

Posted by scott at 09:02 AM eMail this entry!
July 09, 2002
Fireflies!

Washingtonpost.com has this cool article on fireflies. We called them "lightening bugs". It took a long time for me to see them, because where I grew up you just didn't go outside after dusk and before sunrise. The mosquitoes would almost literally carry you off. Yet another reason to dislike southeast Arkansas.

Posted by scott at 07:29 AM eMail this entry!
July 08, 2002
Something for Ellen

Found this "neopets" thing while randomly cruising the internet. Sort of reminds me of the picachu thingy she had going on my computer years and years ago. Yet another ridiculously cute item to crowd up her computer screen. Enjoy!

Update: found it on BitsOfKittyLitter, another blog! :)

Posted by scott at 01:21 PM eMail this entry!
July 07, 2002
Lego Catapults!

Here is an interesting site about some guys that made trebuchet (mideavil catapults) out of lego blocks. Way cool!

Posted by scott at 09:36 AM eMail this entry!
July 06, 2002
Manilow in the News

Hey, Nina, get your mother to finally start reading our website with this article on Barry Manilow. No, I'm serious. Go get her right now!

Posted by scott at 08:42 AM eMail this entry!
July 04, 2002
Iron Chef D.C.

I can't believe it. I was sitting around here yesterday being bored and they were doing Iron Chef downtown! Arrrrggggg!!!!!!

Posted by scott at 07:41 AM eMail this entry!
July 03, 2002
Vacation Follow-Up

Well, maybe we'll go on a cruise.

Posted by scott at 02:09 PM eMail this entry!
July 02, 2002
Fishtanks Fishtanks Everywhere!

Yes, now you can have your very own toilet tank! Ellen will want 3. Wonder if it makes getting rid of the ones that croaked any easier?

Posted by scott at 03:19 PM eMail this entry!
July 01, 2002
Battleship!

Battleship was a great game when I was a kid. Jeff and I played it all the time, but our parents hated it because all the pegs would get scattered everywhere. Here's a free on-line version!

UPDATE: Fixed the link. Stupid link.

Posted by scott at 11:27 AM eMail this entry!
June 29, 2002
The Dumb Man's Bra!

Can't stand that you can uclasp your sweeties bra? Tired of her getting frustrated because you can't figure out 2 easy claps and has to do it herself? Tired of being embarassed when it comes time remove that bra?
Ladies! - no more clasping your bra and spinning it around and throwing your over the shoulder boulder holder on backwards! For once your man can feel acomplished when he suceeds for once with that bra!

The Magnetic Bra! This is a french invention. If the french know anything*which is not much* they know lingerie.

Posted by Ellen at 07:58 PM eMail this entry!
Old English Cook Book Found

One of the oldest recorded english cookbooks has been recently found.

Cook Book

They STILL eat weird shit. In my opinion, the book may be a good find, but not the recipies.

Posted by Ellen at 08:00 AM eMail this entry!
June 28, 2002
Cubical Survival Kit

For those of you that work for a corporate company or a non-profit that won't give everyone an office *ya get that shitty little cubical, never to see the light of day for at least 8 hours- unless you are a smoker and take all to frequent breaks* there is this survival kit you can get from the Cube Guy.

Yeah, he is changing the lives of cubical trapped people everywhere!

Posted by Ellen at 09:01 PM eMail this entry!
The Brazilian Bikini Wax

A really detailed article on just what a Brazilian Bikini Wax entails. Yeah, ouch!

Another encounter of a brazilian wax.

The art of a well manicured muff. This is a funny one.

A quick, cut the the chase FAQ

Now you are wondering WHY women go do this right? I'm sure you are smart enought to figure that one out. ;)

Posted by Ellen at 02:31 PM eMail this entry!
June 27, 2002
Today's Weather

Today's weather in Ohio

Nice day there.

This is my weather for today. Nice big thunderstorms tonight. My girlfriend Amber,* yes, the one people think I am a total lesbian with* and I are going out for dinner.

Big thunderstorms, and I got film for my camera incase somthing neat happens.

Posted by Ellen at 05:23 PM eMail this entry!
June 21, 2002
The Other Side

In spite of what you see in documentaries, in WWII sometimes the allies got shot down too. Here's a link to an actual Luftwaffe training film with long sequences of gun camera footage. No sound, but still something I hadn't seen before. Very interesting, IMO.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
The New GTO

Jeff sent me this link about the upcoming revival of the Pontiac GTO. It's a pretty slick looking car I must admit, but they'll probably want $45k for it, which puts it about $20k out of my price range at least.

Posted by scott at 08:28 AM eMail this entry!
June 20, 2002
How C-4 Works

Here's a cool story about how the plastic explosive C-4 works. Good news: C-4 is not something a dipwad teenager can brew up in the basement. Bad news: there's tons of it in the world, so terrorists can pick it up cheap.

Posted by scott at 03:12 PM eMail this entry!
June 19, 2002
My Doom has Arrived

My wife is addicted to the telephone. They tend to irritate the @$#% out of me, and I'm famous for being monosyllabic even to family members. This is one of those "interesting" aspects of married life that led to "interesting" discussions occasionally as we accomodated each other over time.

I always said if Ellen could have a phone surgically implanted in her skull, I'd never be able to talk to her again (except, of course, by phone). Now it seems they've got one available.

She needs eyes first. :)

Posted by scott at 09:37 AM eMail this entry!
New WTC Proposal

My brother sent me this link to a slick website that has an architect's proposal for the WTC complex. It's a little on the strange side in some places (sound waves repelling aircraft), but overall is pretty interesting.

I don't think it'll fly (as it were). Last I heard, NY really wants to restore some cross-town streets that were obliterated when the complex was first built, making that part of downtown much harder to get to. Sticking a building 300 feet taller than the originals in the same spot would seem to defeat this purpose.

But it is pretty to look at!

Posted by scott at 09:05 AM eMail this entry!
June 14, 2002
Something Ellen will Obsess Over for Hours

Ok, you guys have all probably seen it, but I haven't. SPIDER GAME!!!. Be sure to read the instructions first (simple).

Posted by scott at 03:23 PM eMail this entry!
Girly Gadgets

I want this thing. It braids your hair for you!

How cool is that!?

I have also become a total lipstick whore. BUT, it has to be the type of lipstick that stays on all damn day!!!!! Not this reapplying bullshit.

Whoa!!!!! what is THIS!! I think this is what my mom was telling me about the other day on the phone!

This is an odd contraption.

My southern mama got me 2 of these in a small wall unit for my cat wizz smelling areas of the house. Got to tell ya, they WORK!

Don't want to sit in the sun? Use this stuff. I'm so tempted to use a self tanner, but I'm afraid I will screw up, and have streaked skin. I'll crawl under a rock for a week if that happened to me.

Oh yeah!!! I need to get some of THESE!!

Like to paint your nails?? Got some young girls in the family and need to keep them busy? Try this gadget

For you ladies ( and you KNOW who you are) that are into keeping your jewelry nice and clean

I have one of these. My cats DON'T like it. In fact, they HATE it. They smack it out of my hands everytime I use it. Must be a small dragon.

Suuureeeee...this is a pocket massager for you neck and head. Its for those girls out there that don't want to make a trip to the porn shop and pick out one in her favorite color.

I will admit I sleep with a pillow between my knees at night. I can't help it. My legs falls asleep and my back hurts if I don't.

I have one of these pillows. I love the damn thing. Magrat loves it too. She likes to rub her feet all over it in the middle of the night. *she only rubs, she can't scratch- no claws- long story. My mom made me do it or get rid of the cat since she ruined 6 panels of wall paper. YES I regret every moment of it and I pay back daily for it when she decides to take a shit on my floor*

Who doesn't have one of these Paraffin Wax gadgets yet?

Pretty neat huh!!??

Posted by Ellen at 12:19 PM eMail this entry!
RV's

Ok, I want this!

If I had a kewl little place like this to travel in, I would not have to worry about a cat sitter. I would just take them with me.

Plus, you have your OWN place to sleep in! :) With your cats!

Here is another design I like.

This one is neat too.

Forget a house. Live in a RV, You get to travel more!

Posted by Ellen at 11:00 AM eMail this entry!
Hair Coloring

Wanna color your hair? I just did. No really I did.

I used this.

Henna is neat stuff! Not only can you color your hair with it. You can make interesting designs on your body with it. I personally like designs that stay on for good.

Posted by Ellen at 10:50 AM eMail this entry!
June 13, 2002
Solar Eclipse

We missed a really neat show.

People on the west coast saw it happen, the sun set too soon for us on the east coast to enjoy this one.

Scott even cut up a box to make himself a solar eclipse viewing device type thing. The cats were wondering why he was not making a fort for them.

Posted by Ellen at 06:36 PM eMail this entry!
June 12, 2002
A Very Brady Entry

Ok, much to my horror, Ellen doesn't know much about the Brady Bunch. This means that some of you out there may also not know much about the Brady Bunch. This situation cannot be allowed to continue! So I proudly present Bradyworld.com, the place for all things Brady.

Posted by scott at 12:04 PM eMail this entry!
June 11, 2002
Aussie Money

The new dollar bills got nothin on Aussie's cash. Somehow I don't think these'll work in the metrocard machines. :)

Posted by scott at 12:31 PM eMail this entry!
June 07, 2002
Love

Find out to say I LOVE YOU in 100 different ways!

Send a Virtual Kiss to someone you love.

The History of Self Love

Learn the 13 top reasons NOT to love yourself on a regular basis or at all....could lead to dancing! 13 Reasons Not to Love Yourself

Apparently Mormons dont like it either.

For those of you that are way past that part, but need to re-learn the History of Sex, I suggest you study.

As the songs goes: ~0/ Birds do it, Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it. Lets do it! Lets fall in love! /0~ Lyrics

Posted by Ellen at 02:38 PM eMail this entry!
June 03, 2002
Well, at Least Not Everyone Hates Us

In spite of how unusual it seems, I found this story quite moving. But then, Ellen accuses me of crying at Kodak commercials so what do I know...

Posted by scott at 12:30 PM eMail this entry!
May 31, 2002
QE II

This is a pretty interesting excerpt from a new book coming out about Queen Elizabeth II.

Posted by scott at 10:52 AM eMail this entry!
May 23, 2002
TiVo Rocks!

The New York Times has this interesting article about TIVOs and how imagination-impaired executives are getting the willies from them. Seems we all **gasp** fast forward past the commercials (pinky to mouth).

Seriously folks, if you record more than, say, 2 programs per month or have ever missed a favorite show because the network moved it around, you want one of these things. We bought ours at auction just before Christmas, and it has literally changed the way we watch TV. It's a really basic 16-hour model, but once the warranty runs out I'm popping a new IDE hard drive in it and blowing it up to, say, 60 hours or so.

Things TiVo has Done for Me:

  • Kept me out of trouble when Ellen is venting about something. Wife talking over favorite TV show? Hit PAUSE until wife is done. Listen intently. Hit PLAY to continue watching.
  • Kept me out of trouble when Mom calls. Mom calling up to freak about latest virus scare? Hit PAUSE until she is calm. Hit PLAY to continue watching.
  • Allowed me to share really cool TV moments with Ellen, because Ellen can't just sit still and watch TV, she has to do something else and listen to it. Did Jonny Knoxville just bust his ass in a particularly funny way? Hit REPLAY and then PAUSE and wait for Ellen to surface from whatever she's doing and then hit PLAY to show her.
  • Kept us from missing favorite Food TV or Cartoon Network shows that they keep moving around on us without notice.
  • Let me watch a show while it is being recorded (how cool is that!)

And all sorts of other stuff. Like I said, highly recommended.

Posted by scott at 03:03 PM eMail this entry!
May 22, 2002
History's Circles

So now David Blaine is going to stand on a pole for 35 hours. Think that's good? It's nothing compared to Simeon Stylites, a man who stood on top of a pillar for most of 35 years. But the parallels are interesting, and probably not coincidental.

Of course, since Simeon probably wasn't in the press release Blaine put out, the news monkeys won't know about it. God help us all if they actually tried to do some research and present a balanced story. It might actually require them to leave the NY/DC area!

Posted by scott at 12:19 PM eMail this entry!
May 16, 2002
I Want One. I Want it Bad

I actually have used a LART before, but not one as satisfying as described. To elaborate:

Background: in my day job I'm a sysadmin for a medium sized non-profit composed mostly of social work majors. One of these days I'll explain the implications of this.

Everyone that arrives at my workplace is given a paper document that in big, bold letters says not to use the C: drive (the storage area on the local computer) and to use the networked F: drive instead. The advantages are many but too obscure to detail here (you don't have an F: drive mom, don't even start). Inevitably this document is never read and all sorts of important stuff starts accumulating on the C: drive.

Because employees fall from the sky around here with, typically, less than 24 hours notice that they're coming, they nearly always end up with temporary computers. Once their "real" computers arrive I get to see whether or not the shiny new penny actually has a brain between their ears. If I find stuff on the C: drive (assuming I bother to look), it's LART time.

Now, I'm not that nasty. I basically just move all their files to the F: drive where they're supposed to go. Of course, I leave the C: drive on the new computer empty, so when the "luser" comes back "oh my god! All my files are gone!". That's the LART. Usually one good scare is all it takes to get them using the F: drive.

I have other LARTs. If Kathryn is still reading this she probably knows of one or two, if only through stories (Kathryn is the only person in this entire flying circus that deserves the term hacker in the purest sense. I don't have to LART Kathryn very much, usually only when she drives up some blind alley. There are others that I've simply never needed to LART. Too few, unfortunately.)

My brother's LARTs are far less subtle, but probably more effective. Fortunately for his users he isn't in a position to regularly enforce them (he once made one lady cry though). To this day he rants that I mollycoddle my users. Sometimes I think he's probably right.

Of course, the most satisfying times are when users LART themselves. People who insist on using Outlook and then mail viruses to everyone in their address book, folks that start using the C: drive again and have a failure eat all their files, people that don't save their work, etc.

Do I know everything? Oh good god no! I'm basically writing this to avoid trying to figure out sendmail. I'm quite famous for rushing where angels fear to tread, and have more than once ruined otherwise happy, stable systems by tinkering with them one time too many.

But the network here runs smoothly for a reason, and in these parts you ignore my advice at your peril.

Posted by scott at 03:02 PM eMail this entry!
Matrix Reload

The new Matrix movie's trailer has been released online. The first movie was beyond cool, hopefully the next will be just as good.

Note to family/friends: come to my house to watch this one. I'll give you the volume knob (otherwise everyone screams that it's too loud). This one is a helluva demonstration of Dolby Digital.

Get up Trinity... get up...

Posted by scott at 08:46 AM eMail this entry!
May 14, 2002
Army of Lovers

Scott thinks this group is just ODD~ I'm addicted to the music.

It's impossible to describe them in a nutshell, but the music does make you think of ABBA. Check these sites out for more information.

Army of Lovers

Army of Lovers- russian link

Right now they have currently taken place in my car's stereo system. YES! I get to torture Scott! WOOHOOO!

Posted by Ellen at 10:18 PM eMail this entry!
WaTeR~MeLoN

How can anyone not like this! ---> Watermelon!

From martinis to bread to just munching it off the rind, watermelon is just one of those items that totally brings you back to a hot summer day. Not to mention with those friggin bees buzzing around your head for a taste of the goods you have.

Watermelon is one of those things you can just sit and eat and eat and eat. A small 7 pound watermelon with last me 2 days tops. When I was in NY this week, I bought 2 of them. I'm almost done with one of them ( I started eating it last night)

I will tell you a secret of mine. Watermelon gives me the same type of squiffies that ChOcOlAtE does. Yuppers! What a relaxant, not to mention a laxative if you eat too much in one sitting. ( but hey, makes you look thinner in the end right?)

From pink to yellow and now SQUARE watermelons! Cubic Watermelon (scroll down to 3/4 of the page to see a pix and how much they cost. $82 bucks american~ YEOOOWCH!)

I'm running out of stuff to type about watermelon. Mainly cause I have to pee from eating too much of it an hour ago.

Posted by Ellen at 10:05 PM eMail this entry!
May 10, 2002
SIDS update

Two weeks ago I put up this story about Robert X. Cringley's appeal for help to support his new SIDS foundation. He's now posted this update. Soon www.chasecringley.org will be "live". I'll be sure to link to it, if nothing else to up its standings in Google (Google judges how well a site "fits" in a search not only by the wording of the site, but by how many other sites link to it).

Posted by scott at 05:41 PM eMail this entry!
May 08, 2002
Cool Furniture

How'd you like this as your dinner table? See! Geeks can be handy!

Posted by scott at 12:52 PM eMail this entry!
May 07, 2002
We're #1!

Ok, Aussies are cool, even the ones in the sex industry. Whatacountry.

Posted by scott at 03:54 PM eMail this entry!
May 06, 2002
Fight the Good Fight III

Do you really want TV to be completely pay-per-view? Do you like paying $13.99 for a CD that cost the record company $.0002 to manufacture? Do you understand that there is pressure building for legislation that will make it illegal to fast forward through commercials? Then do something about it!

It gets pretty technical toward the end, but the intro is really good. We love our TiVo, but congress-critters keep listening to the RIAA and the MPAA and others like them, and there's a real chance such things will be made illegal when HDTV gets popular.

Posted by scott at 11:38 AM eMail this entry!
May 05, 2002
And Another Thing

Another thing about comic books... they're what Saturday morning cartoons would really look like if kids were allowed to watch what they wanted instead of what their parents wanted. They are violent, racy, and contain grown up characters and grown up themes. The reason? Only kids read the comics.

Is it right? Oh, probably not.

Posted by scott at 05:42 PM eMail this entry!
May 03, 2002
Micronauts!

I loved these things when I was a kid, but my parents hated them because they came apart into all these little pieces that got scattered all over the house. I have a battlecruiser on my desk at work that I got on E-bay. It's pretty darned snazzy, even after all these years.

The comics were cool too. Princess Mari (scroll down to see the picture) was the first time I remember noticing that women were more than just irritatingly tall girls.

I was just 12 at the time Ellen. You can't get jealous of a comic book character I admired when you were 4. Or can you?

Posted by scott at 03:15 PM eMail this entry!
April 26, 2002
SIDS

Bob Cringley, a seemingly decent enough guy with an obsession with homebuilt airplanes, recently lost his newborn child to SIDS, also known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. I'm linking up to his story because a) he's a decent guy like I said and b) I wanted to help him spread the word.

Posted by scott at 02:10 PM eMail this entry!
April 25, 2002
PT Mania!

Wow Ellen! Look at all these shiny fiddly bits you can get for your cruiser! Take note folks, she's got a birthday coming up in August. :)

Link courtesy of my brother, who is always good at coming up with new ways to spend my money. Thanks Jeff! ;)

Posted by scott at 11:00 AM eMail this entry!
Rule Of Law, Pt 2

Well, here's a slashdot story about a poor guy who got arrested because of a dipwad bestbuy manager in Dekalb, GA.

What makes slashdot so great is that later on, the guy in question wrote up the whole story. So what we have here seems very much to be a moronic power-mad manager who thinks everyone is out to cheat him, victimizing what certainly appears to be a reasonable guy who just wanted what was due him.

Did the guy come back with a gun to address his dishonor? Nope. He's gonna sue, and good for him too!

Something vaguely similar happened to me years and years ago, but I was a dumb teenager doing something stupid (legal, but stupid). Just because you're the boss doesn't make you right. It just makes you the boss.

Posted by scott at 09:11 AM eMail this entry!
April 20, 2002
Fitness Bug

All of you that personally know me know that I LOVE working out. Many times do I think of quitting veterinary medicine and become a personal trainer.

I used to go to a super nice gym that one of the regular people working out in it was Strom Thrumond. Little old man, working out in his slippers. Very nice, he was a flirt.

Ever since the addition of Teddy to our house, we quit the gym. The cost of heart medication and seeing the cardiloigist has exceeded the amount per month a gym membership is. But he is all worth it. Both Teddy and Ajax are our personal trainers. Every time you hit the floor for pushups, ab work or stretching they are there to egg you on. Especially Ajax, who THINKS if he sticks his ass in your face you will work HARDER!

Here is a list of Fitness Icons with their website for you to check out. All of them have their own exercise videos. BTW...I got more results working out at home with my videos than I ever did in the gym. Must be the cat ass.

Karen Voight

Tamille Webb

Minna Lessig

Gin Miller

Those are only some and my favorite people I work out to. If you want a HUGE selection of exercise videos, I get mine from this place.

Collage Video

If you want somthing really hard to try out, I suggest this, Body Pump

Posted by Ellen at 09:42 AM eMail this entry!
April 11, 2002
Pax Americanum Pt II

I'm not as fond of Bruce Sterling as I am of David Brin, but he wrote this cool piece about modern warfare. No, it's not boring. Read the first page then sigh and make some sort of snide comment about men and toys <cough>pat</cough>

Posted by scott at 01:23 PM eMail this entry!
April 06, 2002
A Multiplayer Game Ellen Might Like

The Sims is getting an on-line game. I'm not sure if Ellen will like it, because she likes building houses more than she likes actually playing. Maybe they'll have openings for Sim "interior decorators".

Posted by scott at 10:41 AM eMail this entry!
April 05, 2002
PEEPS!!!!

This has got to me my most favorite candy ever! Who DOESN'T like PEEPS!?

PEEPS

Posted by Ellen at 08:01 PM eMail this entry!
April 03, 2002
Yup, JK II Looks Pretty Durned Good

Gamespot has this review of Jedi Knight II. Pretty tasty!

Posted by scott at 01:32 PM eMail this entry!
April 02, 2002
When is Daylight Savings?

Of course, I say that, then I find something cool. Who in Arizona decided to go it their own way? That's something I'd expect more from Texas (the hard-headed-est people in the nation).

Posted by scott at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
March 31, 2002
Look!! It's an Enquirer Type Magazine Online!

Ok, this one is for my southern Mama. I hope you and the other nurses at your work get a kick out of this one.

THE ONION

Posted by Ellen at 08:23 PM eMail this entry!
Sifl N Olly

Remember these guys on MTV?? Unfortunatly, like ANY good show, the network butchered this one too.

The Sifl N Olly show

Posted by Ellen at 07:46 PM eMail this entry!
March 29, 2002
Another Good Fight

Here's a really good article about the current state of the entertainment industry's attempt to turn everything they produce into pay-per-view. Remember when they tried to make it illegal to fast foward over commercials with your VCR? They're sneakier this time, and it's working.

Posted by scott at 08:56 AM eMail this entry!
March 28, 2002
More JK II News

Here's some new Jedi Knight II news. Shaping up to be a pretty cool game. You do not want Scott to clean the house... you want him to play his star wars game... move along, move along

Update: I should always read the whole thing before posting. It's shipping out right now. Coming to a best buy near you. If you do online gaming with this one day, look for Silver Spider (me) or (probably) Firesilver (jeff). Watch out for Firesilver, he's a good shot. I move around too much and am hard to hit. :)

Posted by scott at 02:13 PM eMail this entry!
March 24, 2002
This Week In Sex!~

This Week in SEX!~

People STILL try to do the "Bobbit" thing ya know... cept some people DON'T use knives.

Posted by Ellen at 08:43 PM eMail this entry!
March 21, 2002
Fight the Good Fight

I'm linking to this story on slashdot primarily because xenu.net is slashdotted right now and you can't reach it. I'll make a permenant link soon. I want to see if I can get Scientology to send me some threatening mail. Should be fun :)

Posted by scott at 01:38 PM eMail this entry!
March 15, 2002
Timex Should Only Be So Reliable

How about A pocket watch more than 200 years old? Well, it looks like a pocket watch anyway. Very important moment in science history. Don't the Britsh throw away anything?

Posted by scott at 03:28 PM eMail this entry!
March 14, 2002
Heroinware for Scott & Jeff

JK II seems way ahead of schedule, thought it was only supposed to be out by X-mas. Means I gotta finish Serious Sam in a hurry.

Posted by scott at 03:34 PM eMail this entry!
Heroinware for Ellen

The latest expansion pack for the Sims is nearly done! More naked dancing sim people!

Posted by scott at 03:29 PM eMail this entry!
Digital Rights

Did you know Hollywood has mandated that you can't skip past advertisements on DVDS? That entertainment companies are trying to legislate away your ability to watch whatever you want, whenever you want? That it's already illegal to try and figure out ways to do this when the entertainment companies decide you shouldn't? Here's an excellent summary of what the entertainment industry is doing behind your backs.

Posted by scott at 10:19 AM eMail this entry!
Now that's what I call a hobby

No amusment park nearby? Build one yourself!

Posted by scott at 08:21 AM eMail this entry!
March 12, 2002
Begging the question

Here's an interesting article about formal arguments and the term "begging the question". Fun when arguing with fundies. :)

Posted by scott at 11:22 AM eMail this entry!
March 07, 2002
Blogs of the stars

First Wil Wheaton and now William Shatner. Diaries of the stars. Anybody else know about star blogs (aside from Asia's)?

Posted by scott at 09:34 AM eMail this entry!
February 22, 2002
Old Figher Pilots

Here's a really cool interview with an old Luftwaffe ace who survived the war. Because the airforce was never as indoctrinated as the rest of the services, you almost (ALMOST) end up rooting for the Germans when you read Luftwaffe accounts.

Posted by scott at 03:49 PM eMail this entry!
February 16, 2002
Progress!

OH MY GOD!! The tiger oscar has ACTUALLY come out of hiding! It actually came out for FOOD!

This is progress!

The other oscar is still a pig.

Posted by Ellen at 05:46 PM eMail this entry!
February 14, 2002
Romance the Geek Way

Ok, here's how one geek did it. Slashdot is a geek site that serves 200, 300 pages per minute to a very large techie crowd. The guy posting is the boss of the operation. Sometimes it's good to be the king :).

Posted by scott at 11:30 AM eMail this entry!
February 12, 2002
Ellen's Just Gonna Love This

Woo hoo! Friends will be back next year! $1M bucks per, not too shabby.

Posted by scott at 02:26 PM eMail this entry!