Tall Tale Postcards from the Wisconsin Historical Society
Monday, June 30, 2008
If your investment portfolio is sagging in the face of a stagnant U.S. economy, you may want to go long on stocks representing the military-industrial complex. In a final, farewell F.U. gesture to American taxpayers, the Bush administration is apparently prepping for activity in Iran. When Lockheed goes to $200 in late '09, don't say I wasn't thinking of you in the summer of 08.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Years ago I posted on an woodcut print made with a car. Here's one made with a steamroller.
Some cool facts and video on the Taipei Mass Damper - a 728 ton stabilizing steel ball, used to minimize the building's sway during earthquakes. It worked on May 12. (via metafilter)
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
A big day for renewable energy! Delaware signs contract for the first U.S. offshore wind farm. I can't wait to see these things go up!
At the national level, Republicans have been stonewalling and blocking renewable energy legislation with a religious fervor, so it's nice to see the states (esp. an east coast state) step up and do the right thing in the face of the outgoing administration's adversity.
At the national level, Republicans have been stonewalling and blocking renewable energy legislation with a religious fervor, so it's nice to see the states (esp. an east coast state) step up and do the right thing in the face of the outgoing administration's adversity.
Matt dances all over the world, and when Matt dances, people join in. (yt, wherethehellismatt)
Alert the pentagon: Denon sells a $500 ethernet cable.
Apparently for increasing the quality of those bits. Those 1s somehow have more 1-ness, and the zeros are way more zeroey. Boing-Boing discusses.
Add one to the voodoo list (or, pair it up with a $700 "cable cooker" for optimal break-in!)
Apparently for increasing the quality of those bits. Those 1s somehow have more 1-ness, and the zeros are way more zeroey. Boing-Boing discusses.
Add one to the voodoo list (or, pair it up with a $700 "cable cooker" for optimal break-in!)
Friday, June 20, 2008
Reuse of British Sea Forts (WebUrbanist)
Ocean and sea forts are few and far between and with good reason: only in fairly extreme circumstances is their expense deemed justifiable. Since being decommissioned, many of these have gained strange second lives as everything from luxury resorts and private retreats to micronations and pirate radio stations. It sounds extreme, but be honest: wouldn’t you want a sea fort of your very own?
Chickenshit, ineffectual, patsy Democrats give the Bush administration everything they want on domestic spying, wiretapping, telecom amnesty
Martian soil, on the rocks.
Dice-size crumbs of bright material have vanished from inside a trench where they were photographed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander four days ago, convincing scientists that the material was frozen water that vaporized after digging exposed it.
"It must be ice," said Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson. "These little clumps completely disappearing over the course of a few days, that is perfect evidence that it's ice. There had been some question whether the bright material was salt. Salt can't do that."
Dice-size crumbs of bright material have vanished from inside a trench where they were photographed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander four days ago, convincing scientists that the material was frozen water that vaporized after digging exposed it.
"It must be ice," said Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson. "These little clumps completely disappearing over the course of a few days, that is perfect evidence that it's ice. There had been some question whether the bright material was salt. Salt can't do that."
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
This is a landmark day in the history of journalistic integrity. The Washington Post announced a ban on the utterly ridiculous AP, due to the latter's claims of infringement in fair-use blog citings.
So here's our new policy on A.P. stories: they don't exist. We don't see them, we don't quote them, we don't link to them. They're banned until they abandon this new strategy, and I encourage others to do the same until they back down from these ridiculous attempts to stop the spread of information around the Internet.
NYTimes article with some background on the issue here.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Gore Vidal weighs in on Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment and, as usual, pulls no punch.
Naturally, I do not want to sound hard, but let me point out that even a banana Republican would be distressed to discover how much of our nation’s treasury has been siphoned off by our vice president in the interest of his Cosa Nostra company, Halliburton, the lawless gang of mercenaries set loose by this administration in the Middle East.
Naturally, I do not want to sound hard, but let me point out that even a banana Republican would be distressed to discover how much of our nation’s treasury has been siphoned off by our vice president in the interest of his Cosa Nostra company, Halliburton, the lawless gang of mercenaries set loose by this administration in the Middle East.
A New Yorker piece on the amazing, always spot-on, my-hero Keith Olbermann
Olbermann suddenly had another sensation, unrelated to neurology—a feeling, he later recalled, that was “like being hit by lightning.” He sat down at his computer and began to write. After an hour, he had the first draft of a lacerating indictment of Bush, a twelve-minute-long (eighteen pages in teleprompter script) j ’accuse, addressed personally to the President.
Olbermann suddenly had another sensation, unrelated to neurology—a feeling, he later recalled, that was “like being hit by lightning.” He sat down at his computer and began to write. After an hour, he had the first draft of a lacerating indictment of Bush, a twelve-minute-long (eighteen pages in teleprompter script) j ’accuse, addressed personally to the President.
Propamanga (salon)
The context: In August, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington will sail into Yokosuka Harbor, the first nuclear-propelled ship to be "forward deployed" in Japan. Some Japanese, having a certain history with the U.S. and matters nuclear, are believed to feel anxiety about the prospect. So the Navy commissioned two Japanese artists to create a graphic novel/comic book -- known in Japan and by consumers of Japanese pop culture worldwide as "manga" -- in an effort to assuage nervousness by portraying daily life aboard the USS George Washington.
The context: In August, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington will sail into Yokosuka Harbor, the first nuclear-propelled ship to be "forward deployed" in Japan. Some Japanese, having a certain history with the U.S. and matters nuclear, are believed to feel anxiety about the prospect. So the Navy commissioned two Japanese artists to create a graphic novel/comic book -- known in Japan and by consumers of Japanese pop culture worldwide as "manga" -- in an effort to assuage nervousness by portraying daily life aboard the USS George Washington.
Note to self: I seriously need to update my blog template. 2 stylesheet overhauls in 10 years is just laziness, plain and simple.
'Daily' and 'Jive' are 1350th and 48456th respectively in frequency, at least according to WordCount
The ghost mall in South China (probably needs some ghost pop being piped through their speakers)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
A nice video introduction and detail info on The Chicago Spire - a new residential skyscraper on Lake Michigan.
Kucinich introduces Bush impeachment articles
About time. Let's see if the vaporspines that pass for Democrats these days step up to support it.
About time. Let's see if the vaporspines that pass for Democrats these days step up to support it.
"Resolved," Kucinich then began, "that President George W. Bush be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate. ...
"In his conduct while President of the United States, George W. Bush, in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and to the best of his ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has committed the following abuses of power..."
Friday, June 06, 2008
Adah Menken: The First Broadway Star (popmatters)
Straightaway, Menken put Sarony on notice, “All attempts to photograph me have been failures.” Sarony took eight poses of her. According to Sarony, the finished product caused her to squeal with delight: “Oh you dear, delightful darling little man! I’m going to kiss you for that.” Sarony recorded his opinion of Menken after she died: “Adah Menken was the most remarkable mingling of angel and devil that ever wore petticoats.”
Straightaway, Menken put Sarony on notice, “All attempts to photograph me have been failures.” Sarony took eight poses of her. According to Sarony, the finished product caused her to squeal with delight: “Oh you dear, delightful darling little man! I’m going to kiss you for that.” Sarony recorded his opinion of Menken after she died: “Adah Menken was the most remarkable mingling of angel and devil that ever wore petticoats.”
Booby trap that Diet Coke with a mentos bomb. I'm not sure who your victims will be, but I'm sure they'll deserve it.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
How We Read (sciencedaily)
Now ground-breaking research by cognitive psychologist Professor Simon Liversedge and his team at the University of Southampton has shown that this is not actually the case. They found that our eyes are actually up to something much more exciting when we read - our eyes look at different letters in the same word and then combine the different images through a process known as fusion.
Now ground-breaking research by cognitive psychologist Professor Simon Liversedge and his team at the University of Southampton has shown that this is not actually the case. They found that our eyes are actually up to something much more exciting when we read - our eyes look at different letters in the same word and then combine the different images through a process known as fusion.