Archives
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
November 2007
February 2008
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
November 2007
February 2008
Planet Dave! Friday, February 27, 2004
Paper Automata?
Origami Robots? I'm not sure what to call these things, but MAN they're cool. I'm definitely going to buy the hand, the Ewe Boat, and Die Fledermaus.
Scientists Challenge U.S. on Scientific Distortions
From /., "The Union of Concerned Scientists, an independent organization which includes 20 Nobel laureates, issued a statement accusing the Bush administration of distorting scientific fact and supressing findings to fit administration policy decisions on the environment, health, biomedical research and nuclear weaponry. They also issued a 37-page report detailing the accusations. Bush's science adviser, John Marburger, called the report biased and said he was troubled that some very prestigious scientists had signed the statement. Numerous complaints from the scientific community about the administration's scientific policy-making prompted the The Union of Concerned Scientists to begin investigating the issue last summer. As an example, the group noted the panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control on lead poisoning had been prepared to recommend strengthening regulations due to new findings on lead toxicity, but had their recommendation rejected by the administration and two panel members replaced by individuals with ties to the lead industry."
Brine on Mars?
From /., "A new article on MSNBC (coming originally from Space.com) reports that the both Rovers may have struck water in the form of brine. The Opportunity rover found hints of salty water in the trench that it dug, and scientists note that the Spirit rover is currently digging a trench of its own to investigate the soil that clings to its treads, suggesting the possibility of moisture. The brine would only be small amounts of water mixed with salt, which can exist in liquid form at very low temperatures. More images are available over at NASA's rover site." Reader frovingslosh would like to add: "I'm just hoping that when you get around to posting one of the many stories that the rover has found mud on Mars that you might include a link to the slashdot article where I predicted this but got moderated as 'funny'."
The Onion Interviews Arthur C. Clarke
Living up to it's title as America's Finest News Source, the Onion posted an interview with Arthur C. Clarke last week. And it's actually not a spoof.
Michigan Quarter Recall
Got this important notice from Kirk. Here it is in it's entirety:
The United States Treasury has announced they are recalling the new Michigan quarters: "We are recalling all of the new Michigan quarters that were recently issued," Undersecretary Russell Shackelford said in a press conference Monday. "This comes in the wake of numerous reports to this agency that the quarters will not work in parking meters, toll booths, vending machines, pay phones, or other coin-operated devices."
"We believe the problem lies in a design flaw," said Shakelford. The winning design for the Michigan quarter was submitted by a Yooper. (a person who lives in the Upper Peninsula or UP for you non Michiganders.) "Apparently, the duct tape holding the two dimes and nickel together keeps jamming in the coin-operated devices."
Where is your accent from?
Got this from Wil. It's the results of a dialect survey. Wow. Do some people actually talk like that?
Advertising as it should be
Making your day a little more surreal. Got this from Russ. It's a Nutrigrain Bar commercial by a company that isn't actually working for Nutrigrain. I'm not sure if it's for attracting potential clients or if it's just for fun. They've got other commercials, too. I'm ashamed to admit it, by my favorite is the Starbucks ad.
We've been living a lie!
Got this from Wil. Apparently, the world's most common random boolean generator isn't so random. I actually noticed this quite a few years ago. So when I want to make a decision about something, I take the coin from my pocket and flip it before looking at it. Granted, I guess I could just take it out of my pocket and look at it, but it doesn't seem right to not flip it first.
Saturday, February 21, 2004
Video Feedback Fractals
Back in college, we once spent an entire evening entertaining ourselves with video feedback. (Yes, I realize I need to get out more.) Everyone's heard microphone feedback. Well, you can get the same effect visually with a camcorder. Connect a camcorder to a TV, then aim the camera at the TV. If you turn off the lights, the only thing on the screen is the light caught in the loop. If you hold it steady, it'll be a box within a box, down to a point of bright light. If you tilt the camera, you can for some really cool patterns. (This is best done without a tripod.) These guys add a layer of complexity. They add some partially reflective mirrors and another monitor. Same concept, though.
Rumsfeld Fighting Technique
I'll bet you didn't know that Rumsfeld is a master in dozens of fighting styles. Here are but a few. Not to brag, but just recently I mastered Possum style Kung Fu. I'm especially good at it before I've had any coffee.
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Azimov's Little Known Porno Career
Don't think of Azimov's writing as porn? You must not live in Grand Rapids.
Ann Coulter's lies about Cleland torn to bits
From BoingBoing, "Ann "Nutcase" Coulter wrote a scathing editorial in which she made up a bunch of unforgivable lies about Max Cleland, a US senator who lost three limbs in Vietnam, by way of rebuttal to his criticism of the Bush administration. The Center for American Progress tears apart her editorial, identifying, lie-by-lie, just how full of shit she is."
The Galaxy's Largest Diamond
From /., "The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics reports 'to impress your favorite lady this Valentine's Day, get her the galaxy's largest diamond.' A newly discovered cosmic diamond is a chunk of crystallized carbon 50 light-years from the Earth in the constellation Centaurus. It is 2,500 miles across and weighs 5 million trillion trillion pounds, which translates to approximately 10 billion trillion trillion carats, or a one followed by 34 zeros. ... AP has a story as well."
The Science of Love
From /., "Economist.com has a story just in time for Valentine's day called 'The Science of Love'. Presumably the difference between love and lust is little more than a bunch of chemicals, which can be controlled with injections (in voles anyway). Quite an interesting read." I'm not sure how I feel about scientifically quantifying stuff like love. But being able to sway the odds of divorce is kind of cool.
Cyberchondria
As an aspiring hypochondriac, I find this /. article interesting. "According to this article in the San Francisco Chronicle the ever-expanding wealth of health information online is keeping hypochondriacs constantly worried. With websites devoted to every major and esoteric illness and search engines coming up with many disease possibilities when you type in a symptom, it is becoming very easy for the health-anxious to believe that they have a disease. Many continue poring through the easily available medical information even after their doctors have given them a clean bill of health."
Comic Book Physics
From /., "Seems many of the feats of SpiderMan, Superman and other superheroes obey the basic requirements of physics. So says a University of Minnesota physicist who uses nothing but comics to teach the subject. 'Comic books get their science right more often than one would expect
Motion Induced Blindness
Over the millennia, we've evolved filters on our senses. These filters keep us from being swamped by irrelevant information. One of these draws our attention to motion. And amid enough motion, stationary objects actually become invisible. You run one of their many demos, focus on the lower left part of the screen, and try to keep track of the stationary dots in your peripheral vision. Sounds easy, huh?
Monday, February 16, 2004
Rocket Man
No, not the movie. Marty sent me this article on the progress of private space travel. I think I've had stuff about the X Prize on PlanetDave before. If you're not familiar with it, check it out.
The 213 Things Skippy is No Longer Allowed to Do in the U.S. Army
Got this interesting list from Wil today.
Improving Television
Turn your boring TV into a GrooveTube! I can think of very few shows that wouldn't benefit from this groovy device.
New Dating Strategy
One of the cool things about the Internet is that it's good for your self esteem. In addition to automating useful things like flattery (Thanks, Kirk!), no matter how much of a loser you might be, there's always some one worse off than you. For example, without even meeting you I feel I can assume that you've never created a web site just to try to convince 2 to 6 women to bear 2 to 15 children for you. Like this guy has. I suppose he's banking on the sheer number of people on the net, that a few women might actually take him up on that. I mean, with the millions and millions of people online, there's got to be a few who... um... Well, it's worth a shot. I propose the establishment of a family consisting of me and a harem of 5 to 15 women, early 20s plus or minus. Women must be financially self sufficient, and at least one should own a king size bed. Applicants can contact me at FutureHusband at PlanetDave dot net, include specs of your PC and internet connection. Applicants should also include results of this compatibility test.
Windows Source Code Leaked
You've probably heard about this. Well, here it is. The complete source code for Windows 2000.
Dubbya on Meet the Press
If you missed our Commander in Chief on Meet the Press, you can check out the Daily Show's coverage of the event.
Animal Yawns
Here's a collection of pix you don't see every day. The Gaping Maws Gallery is devoted to showcasing animal yawns. (Here's the intro.) Now, I don't think all of them are actually yawns, (do fish yawn?) but enough of them are close enough to have me yawning after only a couple minutes.
Tribute to 70s TV
From the Too Much Time On Their Hands department, comes this tribute to several dozen TV shows that might be better off forgotten. I'm ashamed to admit that I actually remember a few of these.
Cow Wanders Through Bank
This seems like it would make your day a little more surreal. I wonder if I'd have the will power to not mess with people's minds after that. "What cow? What are you talking about? Are you feeling alright?"
Scary-cool: Decompression bombs
From Yoz's site, "Most of us are used to relatively consistent ratios for data compression. The standard ZIP algorithm usually takes ASCII files down by a factor of ten or so, uncompressed binary data by a factor of three, both of those wobbling +/-50%. However, those are averages based on real-world use; if you aim to create a sample dataset purely for a high ratio, you can get 100:1 or better quite easily.
But what use is there for such tricks now? Decompression bombs, that's what. Here's an example scenario: A mail arrives at your super-barbed-wire-protected mail gateway. The gzip-compressed attachment - only 7k big - is grabbed by the anti-virus scanner, looking for any suspicious signatures. It starts to decompress it and BANG - the resulting file, over 100 gigabytes, crashes the AV scanner and completely fills the hard drive partition in the process." If I'm reading this right, it sounds like it's aimed at servers, not individuals. (Your mail reader shouldn't be set to automatically open attachments anyway.) Not that I'd ever do something like this, but it is kinda cool.
Want an honest response? Send an email.
From Ars-Technica, "Email and IM seem to be easy mediums for dishonesty because of their impersonal nature, but how do they stack up with other traditional forms of communication? In a study of 30 students at Cornell University, communications diaries were made and the subjects noted how many lies they told during the exchanges. ". . .lies made up 14 per cent of emails, 21 per cent of instant messages, 27 per cent of face-to-face interactions and a whopping 37 per cent of phone calls." The results surprised some psychologists since they thought the detachment associated with email would have produced the most lies. But as many involved in the corporate world will point out, the impulse to lie tends to decrease when there is a recorded trail available. In addition, email is not a real time form of communication and lies are less likely to occur from unexpected questions. Caesar quickly questioned the phone call results. He pointed out many of the responses, especially coming from students, may have been a result of friends joshing around with each other and little lies intended to avoid conversation."
The Story of Community Bridge
Frederick, Maryland (a town near Washington D.C.) had a really ugly plain concrete bridge. Ideally, they would've torn it out and replaced it with a nice one. But the money just wasn't there. So they painted it. In addition to a lot of convincing stonework, there are several optical illusions painted on, including what looks like a statue, a birdbath that real birds occationally try to land on, and a false perspective image of an angel. Next time I'm in DC, I'll have to add a roadtrip to Frederick to the schedule.
Friday, February 13, 2004
2003 Vaporware Awards
(Got this from Ron.) Another year has come and gone, bringing with it the usual vaporware. In summary, Wired News has its Vaporware Awards. Not suprisingly, Duke Nukem Forever recieved the most votes. (For the third year in a row.) But to be fair to other vaporware that can't compete those levels of hype/delay, Duke Nukem was removed from the rankings and given the newly created Lifetime Achievement Award.
Scott Mutter Images
A combination of photography and digital image manipulation. The catherdral/street is my favorite.
Funky Science Experiments
This site would've kept me busy for a while when I was younger. ... In fact, now my weekend's probably shot. Well, any science teachers should check this out. There's plenty of material.
Cool Science Images
I have to add this site to my list of daily news sites. Notice the six gray links to the different sections of the archive. In the biology archive, there a link to a crocodile eye. You MUST watch the slow-mo video of the croc blink.
The 100-Million Mile Network
From /., "eWeek has an article on the network and radio topography of the two Mars rovers and how they communicate with satellites in Mars' orbit as well as the Earth. The article ends by giving four rules for maintaining a space network, a) Automate processes, b) Bulletproof your gear, c) Be persistent and d) Simulate potential problems, which are probably good rules for any network."
Curse Your Way to Live Support
From /., "Wired is reporting on new software developed at University of Southern California's Speech Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory. Researchers there have come up with working code to detect the frustration and anger level of callers working their way through automated attendant phone systems."The system works by analyzing not only what callers say, but also how they say it. Callers get transferred if they start to spit out expletives or if they simply sound angry."" Um, hitting '0' at the first menu usually works pretty well, too.
Russian Rovers on the Moon
From /., "Perusing an Air & Space magazine the other day, I came across an article about Russian Moon Rovers during the space-race era. Thanks to my American science education, I had never heard of this feat. I asked around (friends and coworkers) and nobody else I've talked to has heard of them either. They were called 'lunokhod', and were the first of their kind. Unmanned, remotely operated rovers with basic instrumentation. Two were successfully landed on the Moon, each driving for many miles on the Moon's surface, returning tens of thousands of pictures. You can do a Google Search to start your education, or read what they have to say at Wikipedia on the subject (Wikipedia also has some external links.)"
What the Internet Isn't
From /., "Doc Searls and David Weinberger, co-authors of The Cluetrain Manifesto, have put together a 10-part guide for how to stop mistaking the Internet for something it isn't. It contains some painfully obvious and often overlooked characteristics of the 'world of ends' we call the Internet."
Thursday, February 12, 2004
More on Video Games and Violence
Scot and I were talking about this today. He raised the point that kids raised by people who talk politely and act civilly, tend to talk politely and act civilly. Kids raised by people who shout and lose control tend to shout and lose control. Kids who've been beaten tend to beat their kids. In other words, kids are affected by their environment. The types of video games a kid plays are a part of that environment. I couldn't really argue with that, but now that that's been simmering in the back of my mind all day, I have two things to say about that. First, I don't think video games can have as direct an influence as human contact. How a kid's parents treat people is one thing. It's real. How a kid interacts with a simulated world is something else. If the kid can't distinguish the difference between reality and games, he's going to have problems regardless of this upbringing. Second, while everything that Scot said is essentially true, the media seems to add to this a sense that parents are helpless against this. Typically, the question of blame comes up. And people find it easy to blame the video games instead of the parents. If a parent buys their kid a mature rated game like Grand Theft Auto while pleading ignorance of its contents, they don't have the right to blame the game for influencing their child. If they're the type of parents who can't take the time to find out what their children are playing, their kids are probably going to be screwed up with or without video games. If kids aren't spending enough time outside and/or socializing with other kids, how can that be anyone's fault but the parents?
What are your thoughts?
1,His Daveness,02-12-2004,07:34 PM,"Scot, did I accurately represent your comments in the post? Please correct me if I didn't."
2,Scot,02-13-2004,04:56 PM,"Yep, that's accurate, and I don't absolve parents. I also don't think that violent games are going to have much of a negative effect on well-adjusted kids. In the scheme of things, there are bigger factors affecting kids' behavior than their entertainment choices -- but anyone with even passing contact with kids knows that pop culture affects kids greatly. Do the effects linger beyond childhood? Has anybody seen the MTV show 'Jackass'? Anyhow, there are separate questions here which I think are often blended together. They are: 1) What are the effects of violent video games (esp. on young children) & 2) What does that imply with regard to parenting. You cannot argue simultaneously that A) violent video games have no effect on a child and B) their effects are the parents' fault. If VGs have no effect, why then any parent in the world would be a fool not to let them play whatever! For parents to make intelligent choices about how their kids should spend their time, they need to have good information on effects. It doesn't seem like a stretch to me that realistic, violent, anti-social games can, with repeated prolonged exposure, have a pretty negative, anti-social effect on kids -- especially while their personalities and value systems are still malleable. I don't think it makes kids into axe murderers -- I'd just suggest that growing up surrounded by violent imagery gives them a different sense of what's acceptable, and leads them to choose more aggressive responses. Finally, I don't think it's at all a question of whether kids can tell the difference between 'real' and 'make believe' on a cognitive level. The question is what effects these sensory inputs have on their psyche. I'd really like to have good information about that, and I think it's been too politicized thus far."
3,His Daveness,02-15-2004,11:29 PM,"On parental responsibility: I'm not saying 'A) violent video games have no effect on a child and B) their effects are the parents' fault.' I'm suggesting that if parents claim video games are harmful, they have to take responsibility for letting their kids play them. Several times I've seen video game makers vilified for the actions of a few screwed up kids. I don't see how anyone can begin to blame the developers. On the effects of violent video games: I think this issue can be further divided into the effect on adults and the effects on children. As for adults, I'm an adult and I play violent video games. So far, in the decade that I've been gaming, I've never heard anyone criticize my temper. I suppose it's possible that everyone's too afraid of me to do that, but I'm going to assume that's not the case. As for kids, this actually kinda seems like a stupid thing to discuss at all. It's like arguing whether or not rated R movies are harmful to 10 year olds, or whether marijuana is harmful during adolescence. If I ever have kids, I'm not going to show them rated R movies when they're 10, and I'm not going to buy them marijuana. It's not that I'm afraid of them turning into cold blooded killers or becoming pot-headed deadbeats, I just don't think it's appropriate. Parents who disagree with me on that will raise their kids differently than I would. And I think that difference in parenting will have much more influence than the games will. Do I think that video games have zero impact on people? Of course not. Grand Theft Auto for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week would screw you up. But I think 10 hours a day, 7 days a week of Tetris would screw you up too. I just don't believe that the worst game in the world could compete with good parenting."
4,Marty,02-16-2004,03:06 PM,"Ehhhhh. 7 days a week, and 10 hours a day of tetris is a thought too terrifying to ponder. I can see the headline now... 'TETRIS KILLER PUT VICTIMS IN THEIR PLACES' And then there is polytris and 3d-tris to consider. I'm going to go hide in my closet now."
5,Scot,02-16-2004,05:33 PM,"OK, that was really funny."
6,Elennare,02-17-2004,12:14 AM,"People be afraid of Dave's temper? what??? Maybe cuz he takes all his agression out on poor, unsuspecting, digital monsters/aliens/humans/droids/cyborgs/whatever else you kill in those games, all the rest of us are spared. :) ;) But I definately think little kids shouldn't play them. They're not designed for children, and sure, if they play them all the time, they could get messed up. Which is why it's the parents job to find out what's in the game before they buy it, and decide if the kid is old enough to play it. Blaming problems on the video game makers is just as stupid as suing a gun manufacturer cuz you got shot (which, I know, has sadly been done...)."
7,videokid cory,02-29-2004,09:43 PM,"why in the world would someone think video game violence would have any affect on a person (unless that person was drunk and high). video game violence RELEIVES STRESS intsead of killing people in the real world take out your anger on those animated charactors."
8,Morgan,03-08-2004,10:07 PM,"Ok, so you're saying that kids who play violent video games are violent? Cool! That means I'm violent. hehehe. Hmm...now that I realize my true nature, please excuse me, I have to go find a kitty to kick."
9,baseballfan47,03-29-2004,12:49 PM,"I just picked up MLB 2005, and it’s really awesome! They really improved the graphics this time, and the soundtrack is kinda cool cuz it has The Black Eyed Peas. Regardless of all that the coolest part is the franchise mode which lets you basically run the whole team. It’s awesome cuz u get to manage the stadium and trades, etc. What do you guys think?"
10,MLB 2005,04-04-2004,04:55 AM,"Dude, I think you’re so right! MLB is by far the best baseball game I’ve played in a while. The grapics and franchise mode are pretty cool, but I’m excited I just got my hat in the mail! Anyone have any good tips for MLB?"
11,rostyl713,04-15-2004,10:09 AM,"Give MLB a chance, you never know, you might like it. It’s so much more improved than in the past, the graphics are amazing. It’s got some pretty good features, and I think the franchise mode really is the coolest part. I feel like an entrepreneur! What do you guys think?"
12,Kyle Singer,04-19-2004,09:00 AM,"What do you guys think about sports games? Wouldn't you say they help with coordination and whatnot? I let my kids play them only, baseballfan, they like MLB 2005, i bought it for them and they can't stop."
13,Big Jake,05-17-2004,11:04 AM,"It's a fact, the psych studies which expose children (and adults) to violent video games/tv shows show a marked increase in the subjects' tolerance for violence, and in use of violence as a solution to problems. That said, no amount of violent video games will turn someone into a murderer. I'd be up for a ""surgeon general's warning"" cigarette-style on games (in addition to the ratings) noting that playing games may cause apathy towards violence and more aggressive behavior. Inform the public, and let the market do it's thang."
Where the Buck Stops
Scot has posted a well written little essay on the whole Iraq intelligence debacle. He very eliquently points out that one man was ultimately who decided our military action. That man should take some responsibility for it, and get his house in order. I think Bill Mahr put it best when he (paraphrasing to the best of my memory) said, "There's a problem when the only person who's been fired over terrorism is me."
Computer Upgrades for Smokers
He actually did it. Tony installed a cigarette lighter in one of his 5.25" drive bays. (At home, not here at work.) He's actually down to about half of the cigarette consumption he used to be at. Good work, Tony. If you keep it up, maybe I won't have to get you this.
Contribute to the Necronomicon, Win a Copy
The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society is compiling a pdf version of the Necronomicon. (If you haven't read any Lovecraft, I can't explain it to you.) To encourage submissions for portions of the book, they are holding the Necronomicontest! The grand prize is "a complete, handmade, aged, leather-bound printed copy of the finished Necronomicon, including all entries, done in highly detailed and authentic 17th-century style. We can't tell yet how long the finished HPLHS Necronomicon will be, but we expect it to reach several hundred pages. The Grand Prize winner will own a unique copy of the most complete and authentic Necronomicon known." Ok, everybody grab a Lovecraft book, some alcohol (or other mind-altering substance, like Pixie Stix), and come on over. We'll play The Wall and Naked Lunch in the background while we read, drink, and write all night. That should result in some choice ravings. Oh, and any Lovecraft fans out there need to read Resume With Monsters.
How Public are Public Records?
From the St. Augustine Record, "Since 1909, Florida law has guaranteed its citizens access to public records. In 1993, the right was written into the Florida Constitution, one of only a handful of states to adopt such a protection for citizens. ... Overall, 57 percent of the agencies audited complied with the public records law... The other agencies reviewed statewide made unlawful demands or simply refused to turn over the records." A choice quote: "In a post-audit interview, Taylor County Superintendent Oscar Howard said his district was hesitant to produce his cell phone bill because the volunteer wouldn't give his name. "He could have been a terrorist," Howard said. "We have to ensure the safety of children." Howard couldn't explain how a terrorist might use his cell phone bill to harm children."
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
BBC Argues Games Don't Cause Violence
From /., "BBC News has an article on the argued link between violent games and real violence. It examines both scientific evidence, different theories and the facts in order to conclude 'that it is trite and irresponsible of ill-informed commentators to claim that games like Grand Theft Auto are central to terrible crime. ... It's good to know that gamers are not all killing machines lying in wait, or that E3 is not the most potentially dangerous convention ever." I'm actually not sure I care about this any more. I've gotten kind of used to people telling me my hobbies turn people into bloodthirsty maniacs. That used to make me mad. But now I just accept it as an indicator of the validity (or lack thereof) of the speaker's opinions.
Comcast Offers To Buy Disney for $66B
This was all over the net today. But if you haven't seen it, here's the /. quote, "Comcast have made a surprise $66 billion bid for Disney. The public bid (aimed at swaying shareholders) follows a period of secret negotiation which resulted in Eisner saying no. Comcast has a statement on their website and there is better coverage available here."
Star Wars on DVD!
Marty was the first to send me this item on the release of episodes 4, 5, and 6 on DVD. It doesn't say in the article, but I have it on good authority that this will be the latest version of these movies. I'm still trying to get a DVD copy of the laserdiscs of the original version. (If you want a copy of that, let me know. I'll see what I can do.)
Mindless Fun
Got this from Russ. Click it once to make the penguin jump. The click again to make the yeti swing.
Monday, February 09, 2004
A Deep Space Primer
From /., "With the latest Mars missions still in the news, people might be curious about what it takes to actually run a deep space mission: how a spacecraft is designed, how the communications are handled, what kind of project management is in place to make it all work. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has a primer online that gives broad general coverage of all aspects of putting a satellite into orbit and how to manage it once it's there. Fascinating reading, with lots of links to more detail."
Bachelor Chow: Now With Flavor!
If I'd had Cooking With Students when I was in school, I'd've eaten quite a bit better. Oh, who am I fooling? I'll eat quite a bit better NOW for having found it.
Another Car/Boat from Cuba
From this Yahoo! article, "Eleven Cubans trying to sail to Florida in a 1950s Buick converted into a tailfinned boat were intercepted at sea by the Coast Guard and will be sent back to their homeland, exile activists said Wednesday." Here's the thing, the guy tried the same thing last year in a '51 Chevy pickup. I think the car is showing his experience. Looks quite a bit faster in the water than the truck. Man, they gotta stop sending him back. They need to let him into the U.S. and give him a job on Monster Garage.
Learning Computer Science via Assembly Language
From /., "A new book was just released which is based on a new concept - teaching computer science through assembly language (Linux x86 assembly language, to be exact). This book teaches how the machine itself operates, rather than just the language. I've found that the key difference between mediocre and excellent programmers is whether or not they know assembly language. Those that do tend to understand computers themselves at a much deeper level." I'm not sure I agree with that. While knowing how to rebuild an internal combustion engine may improve my driving a little (via a deeper understanding of the inner workings of my car), I can get by pretty well without it. I think the same is true for computers. As they get more complex, it makes sense to divide the specialties. I'm more of a hardware guy, so I'm more comfortable at the assembly level. (So I'll probably end up getting that book.) But I don't see it improving my skills with polymorphism. I think a more accurate distinction between mediocre and excellent programmers would be experience. And the older a programmer is, the more likely he's had some assembly experience.
Secret Knock for Network Ports
From /., "The process of Port Knocking is a way to allow only people who know the "secret knock" access to a certain port on a system. For example, if I wanted to connect via SSH to a server, I could build a backdoor on the server that does not directly listen on port 22 (or any port for that matter) until it detects connection attempts to closed ports 1026,1027,1029,1034,1026,1044 and 1035 in that sequence within 5 seconds, then listens on port 22 for a connection within 10 seconds. The web site explains it in some detail, and there is even an experimental perl implementation of it that is available for download. I can't think of any easy ways you could get around a system using this security method - let alone even know that a system is implementing it. Another article on port knocking is here."
Recording Industry Encountering Resistance in the Courts
Currently in court, 28 entertainment companies are suing the makers of the Kazaa file sharing software. The dispute? Whether the makers of the software should be held responsible for what some users are doing with it. Kinda like, if I kill someone with a baseball bat, should Louisville Slugger be held responsible? I suppose the rationale is that if they remove my source of baseball bats, I can't kill anyone with one, can I? Or maybe because attacking one company is more lucrative than attacking hundreds of downloaders. Anyway, last Tuesday a judge got a little fed up with the prosecution's overheated rhetoric. A choice quote, "Let me say what I think your problem is. You can use these harsh terms, but you are dealing with something new, and the question is, does the statutory monopoly that Congress has given you reach out to that something new. And that's a very debatable question. You don't solve it by calling it 'theft.' You have to show why this court should extend a statutory monopoly to cover the new thing. That's your problem. Address that if you would. And curtail the use of abusive language."
Dubbya's Military Record
Scot posted something last week about Bush failing to show up for his Guard duty. I see it's also hit the Boston Globe. It's about time this hit mainstream media. I'm still mad at his "Top Gun" publicity stunt. I couldn't imagine how insulted real military men would be at this guy playing dress up and make believe. Still can't.
Tone Deaf Choir?
From Boing Boing, "Take a group of men from the northern Finnish town of Oulu... dress them in dark suits with black ties made from the inner tubes of car tyres. Next, send them out on to the ice floes of the frozen Baltic and get them to shout - in choral unison - at a stranded 10,000-ton ice breaking vessel, and you have got something called Mieskuoro Huutaja (Men's Choir Shouters)... a new art form, and it is taking parts of the world by arctic storm. ... Link to BBC news story, Link to truly bizarre audio and video clips of these Finnish guys, well, flowing with the ice floes."
Those Silly Mac Users
From Ars-Technica: "Those crazy guys over at OverClockers.com decided recently that it would be a smart idea to gut a brand-new PowerMac G5 and replace the innards with a standard run-of-the mill PC with one exception. The whole thing was very apparently a hoax. Unfortunately, someone forgot to let the Mac crowd in on the joke. The reaction from the Mac community was astounding. According to Wired.com, the author of the stunt, Andy, received an inbox full of insults and threats." In defense of the Mac community it should be pointed out that for non-Mac users, operating system loyalty is separate from hardware loyalty. Hence, you don't see death threats over the gutting of a Dell case. As a Windows user, I know no such loyalty. I'd probably use a Mac or Linux if it weren't for the games issue.
Friday, February 06, 2004
The Dynamap!
Most people have seen the holograms you can find on cards, cereal boxes, movie posters, etc. You know, the type where the image changes with your viewing angle. Well, that technology is now being put to better use. Behold the Dynamap! It's a map of Manhatten with three levels: Streets, Subways, and Landmarks & neighborhoods. These levels fade in and out of view as you tilt the map. I may have to buy one. I love kick-ass application of low technology. Gizmodo has a cool picture of one.
Google Tutorial
Ok, I originally wasn't going to post this Google tutorial just on principle. But after posting the 1337 vs. n00bs thing, I feel kind of obligated. It's actually not just for web-beginners. It's got a whole slew of search operators that I didn't know about.
MIT Tech Reviews Undead Tech
From Ars-Technica, "In the recent technology boom, there have been promises of machines and gadgets that will make previous generations of tech obsolete. This does not always ring true. MIT Technology Review is spotlighting 10 technologies that continue to survive and thrive in today's gadget era. Some of the tech, like reel-to-reel tape and vacuum tubes survive because of niche audiences, while analog watches remains a top seller because of style and fashion that digital counterparts cannot match. Most of the remaining technologies fall into a group of tech that is more practical, reliable, and cost effective than cutting edge current tech (mainframe computers, Fortran, pagers, manual typewriters, dot-matrix printers, and fax machines)."
Chess - 2070 CPUs vs 1 GM
From /., "ChessBrain.net broke the world's record for 'largest number of distributed computers used to play a single game' by holding a chess match between Danish GM Peter Heine Nielsen and the equivalent of SETI@home (which similarly, has some people looking for a Mate). 2070 CPU's from 56 countries aided Black by running the chess program Beowulf, including a couple of University clusters. Their supernode ran Linux, and MySQL. The game was relayed by FICS. Results can be viewed here(1) and here(2)." The game ended in a draw. Another interesting quote, "Peter Heine Nielsen commented that he had set several traps for ChessBrain which computers normally fall for, but was surprised that ChessBrain refused them." To anyone not in the know, distributed computing is a system that allows an arbetrary number of computers (connected via the internet) to focus on a single problem. This effectively creates one big supercomputer. (One of the coolest concepts to come out of the internet.)
Folded Newtonian Telescope
From /., "Michael Fallwell has figured out a way to overcome many of the problems of traditional telescope construction - making it way more compact and economical. And the whole thing is completely portable and achieves accuracy down to one or two millionths of an inch across an 18 inch surface!"
Sock Puppet Art
I'm ashamed to admit it, but I kinda like this stuff. (Not that I can afford any of it.) I like how she has the puppets acting the emotion in the caption. Reminds me of the "dude" game.
Growing Tension Between Technophiles and Technophobes
Wil sent me this NYTimes article about how the technologically elite (hereafter referred to as "1337") are getting tired of dealing with tech newbies (hereafter referred to as "n00bs.") If you don't feel like contributing to the Times' data mining, use "planetdave" as your logon and password. There's a nice synopsis and a bit of a rebuttal over at Ars-Technica. To any n00bs reading this, if you take nothing else from these articles, learn this: NEVER click on a pop-up. NEVER indicate to a spammer that a spam is actually reaching a human. This only encourages them. Anyway, the NYTimes (like any mainstream media organization) is a little behind the curve. This stuff isn't anything new. These shirts have been around for longer than I can remember. (Hey, who's Bill Melcher?)
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Bush Pledges to Restore Honor to White House
George W. Bush has pledged that if re-elected, he will work to restore the dignity and credibility that the White House has lacked for the past several years. From the Onion article, "Bush told the crowd that, if given the opportunity, he would work to reestablish the goodwill of the American people 'from the very first hour of the very first day' of his second term."
Slouching Toward Big Brother
Did you know that the Justice Department has the right to secretly arrest noncitizen residents? Diganta could just disappear one day and it'd be completely legal. The Supreme Court took a look at that last month, and left it alone. There's a piece over at c|net that discusses this. Worth a read.
How-To for Hackers
"Hardware Hacking: Have Fun While Voiding Your Warranty" is SO going on my wishlist. Check out Wired's review.
Hitchhiker's Guide Cast Finalized, Starts Shooting in April
From /., "According to The Hollywood Reporter, Martin Freeman (The Office, Love Actually), Mos Def (Showtime, The Italian Job), and Zooey Deschanel (Big Trouble, Elf) have signed on to play Arthur, Ford, and Trillian, respectively. Stephen Moore is once again doing the voice of Marvin. No word on who's playing Zaphod (but wouldn't Eddie Izzard be great?). It worries me when they say things like, "Adams adapted his own novel for the screen. After his death, Karey Kirkpatrick came aboard for a rewrite."
Comcast Targets Internet "Abusers"
From /., "Here's a great Associated Press story on Comcast's invisible caps. The company has been threatening and then cutting off customers who 'abuse' their so-called 'unlimited' service by downloading too much. But Comcast won't reveal what the limits are. DSL Reports has been tracking this for a while, and it's good to see the mainstream press catch on."
Another Exploding Whale
You may or may not have heard of the whale that the Oregon State Highway Division tried to dynamite. Well, last week a dead whale in Taiwan did the same thing, but without the help of human stupidity. The carcass was being transported to a research facility when the decomposition induced gases reached a critical level, sending blood and guts everywhere. Depending on your personal level of squeamishness, you can check out the story with pictures if you'd like.
Hack Yer Brain
Jamie sent me the neat little brain-twister. Lift your right foot a few inches off the ground. (This works best while seated.) Now start moving it in clockwise circles. While you're doing that, draw a '6' in the air with your right hand. Is your foot still going clockwise?
RIAA Radar
Now you can check whether you're funding the RIAA before you buy the CD. Unfortunately, Cake and Staind are both RIAA groups. Now I have to pirate that stuff. Bummer. I kinda wanted the CD. On a related note, Kirk sent me this Pepsi parody commercial. I'm actually not as concerned with it as I was. The RIAA is steadily becoming obsolete.
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
Starship Dimentions
Here's a really neat site that has scale drawings of some sci-fi ships you may have heard of. (And probably a few you haven't.) It's best to not put too much thought into how much time this must've taken.
2004 State of the Union Address Transcript
Here's a transcript of Dubbya's 2004 State of the Union address. Well, there may be a little paraphrasing, but all the meaning is pretty faithfully reproduced.
Genetically Modified Flower Detects Landmines
It's estimated that there are around 100 million land mines hidden in the world. Typically, they remain right were they are long after their purpose has disappeared. Land mine detection and removal is slow and dangerous work. (And is often done by wandering livestock or playing children.) But advances are being made. From /., "Yahoo has the story that a Danish company has developed a plant that can detect landmines. The genetically modified weed that has been coded to change color when its roots come in contact with nitrogen-dioxide (NO2) evaporating from explosives buried in soil. ... The company website has a bit more information."
Spirit and Opportunity Now Operational
From /., "CNN reports that both the Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity are now both fully functional. Working on opposite sides of the red planet, they have begun analyzing rock and soil samples."
Pickled Dragon?
Scot sent me this thing about what appears to be a baby dragon in a jar of formaldehyde. What bums me about this is that once (if) they prove it's not real, it'll cease to be news-worthy, and I'll never find out what it's made of and how it was made. Oh well. Maybe it'll turn up on eBay.
Craftster
I can see my mom spending a lot of time at this site. Craftster, in a nutshell, is a place for people to talk about all sorts of home-made stuff. For example, this piece of mood lighting made from Christmas tree lights and a spent CD-R container.
Slow Motion Violence Against Food
Here's a page with slow motion video of different types of food being shot. The footage of the bullet through seven cans is really cool.
Constructing The Perfect Turban
In an effort to keep my loyal readers informed, here is the proper way to tie a turban. Hey, does anyone know how to tie a desert turban?
Monday, February 02, 2004
Fast food is worse for you than you thought.
"Super Size Me" is an independent film that explores the health effects of a McDonald's diet. And by that I mean, nothing but McDonald's food. I haven't seen it, but judging by the article I imagine it would be kinda like watching a train wreck. Within days, the subject was puking out of his car window. By the end of the experiment (30 days) his liver was described by his doctor as "toxic." I think I'll pick up a salad on my way home.
Score One for the Good Guys!
From /., "According to Yahoo/AP, a federal judge has declared unconstitutional a portion of the USA Patriot Act that bars giving expert advice or assistance to groups designated foreign terrorist organizations. The ruling marks the first court decision to declare a part of the post-Sept. 11 anti-terrorism statute unconstitutional, said David Cole, a Georgetown University law professor who argued the case on behalf of the Humanitarian Law Project." It's about time.
Confessions of a Car Salesman
Ever wonder about what goes on behind the scenes at a car dealership? Read about an undercover spy sent by Edmund's to find out. It's a little long for my attention span, but it's a good read.
The Human Beatbox
Gene sent me a link to this video of a guy showing off with a microphone. I wonder how long it takes to develop a skill like that.