January 29, 2004
SideWalk Chalk
Here's a collection of cool sidewalk art images, the one below being a crop from my favorite.
January 28, 2004
Evil Incarnate
There has got to be a special place in hell for Michael Esposito, president of Master Tape Collection. This greedy bastard's plan to sell Elvis's original master tape is an abomination that should be stopped. Unfortunately, we can't count on Elvis Presley Enterprises, so hopefully someone else can come up with the bucks. Any takers?
January 27, 2004
Meanwhile, in Space
Last week, while carrying out its first detailed geological examination of a rock nicknamed "Adirandack" the Spirit rover suffered an acute attack of Space Madness. Initially the prognosis was grim, but the super-geniuses at JPL deftly fielded the interplanetary help desk call and determined that the problem was just overloaded RAM. So let that be a lesson to you, Memphilterians--delete those temp files!
And as if Spirit's meltdown wasn't enough to chew on, the MER team was also faced with the prospect of guiding the Opportunity rover to a landing on the other side of the Red Planet. They made it look easy, scoring a 300-million-mile hole-in-one while The Governator and Al Gore looked on. "I will attempt no science analysis," said principle investigator Steve Squyres of Cornell University as the first images were beamed back to earth, "because it looks like nothing I've ever seen before in my life." So, at the end of regulation, it's Mars Demon: 2, Humanity: 3.
Closer to home, Michael Foale's dance with death continued as a small leak in the International Space Station was traced to an air hose the astro- and cosmonauts were using for a hand hold while they looked out the window.
January 25, 2004
Potus for President
Run, Hammie, run!
January 21, 2004
Quote of the Day
"When last night in his State of the Union address, President Bush referred to the search for weapons of mass destruction-related program activities, can the prime minister confirm that that is what the Iraq Survey Group is now searching for, and in the process, can he explain to us all what exactly does that mean?"
---Charles Kennedy MP, who raised the matter with Tony Blair
If the State of the Union made you feel as bad as Ted Kennedy looked, then you can make it all better by...
...hitting the penguin. My top distance is 316.7.
Some LunchWaster Oddities...
A few misc links for ya...
January 20, 2004
Ignorance = Maglev = Bliss
The title was almost more catchy than the article itself, but still interesting is this Popular Science article about magnetic levitation. Just goes to show how ignorance of current theories of physics can sometimes help you get the job done. Cheers, Roy Harrigan.
January 19, 2004
Slews of images of old ads, cereal box goodies, cartoons, and commercials--All vintage
This site is an amalgamation of all things commercial in the 60's and 70's. It definitely brought back some memories for me. My favorite section is old playground equipment back when we played on monkey bars made out of galvanized steel constructed over a spread of razor-sharp gravel. We were real kids back then, we didn't need plastic cell phones full of candy, we flipped around on metal monkey bars and loved it!
Greetings Extraterrestrials!
This guy actually gets paid to come up with ideas concerning how to make first communication with extraterrestrials. This would be my dream job. So far the message is not verbal, but musical, and is based on a Fibonacci sequence, which is mathematical. So much for Esperanto.
January 18, 2004
Clear Sky Clock
Designed for amateur astronomers, the clear sky clock forecasts cloud cover & transparency over a 48-hour period. Over 1700 clocks across North America, including Memphis.
January 16, 2004
Meanwhile, on Mars
After battling balky airbags, the Spirit rover finally got its wheels dirty yesterday. The mission so far has been a photographic bonanza--and the hits just keep on coming! (Digital photographers take note--the rover' s camera only has a 1 megapixel chip) First off, the rover will break out its robotic arm and investigate a patch of dirt next to to the lander that looks suspiciously like mud. Then, our intrepid robotic explorer will trek to "Sleepy Hollow", an impact crater through which the craft apparently bounced on touchdown. Finally, the craft will set out for these hills, about two kilometers away, hoping to get a better view of the surrounding landscape. Two kilometers is more than twice the rovers expected range, but there' s something oddly inspiring (to this blogger, at least) about the thought of Spirit striking out on a journey that it wasn't designed to complete.
If it could experience emotion, Spirit might be glad that it's in Gusev Crater instead of back on Earth in the Northeast right now.
Big Candy Smokin' Thumb
Ahhh, those crusty white sticks with the pink tip bring back memories. Of what, I'm not really sure. But if you're in the mood for a blast from the un-PC past, check out Cardhouse.com's super duper Big Candy Smokin' Thumb website which features a collection of candy cigarette packs.
Not sure if my favorite is the Old Toad or Winstun.
WeeklyDV wants your shorts
If you have a few spare hours, a DV camera, editing software, and the ability to host your own movie on the web, WeeklyDV wants your movie. The site establishes a theme for every week and takes submissions of videos based on that theme. The rules are simple: the complete project should take less than four hours, the film should be under five minutes, and it must be hosted on your website. Check out what others have done. If any of the Memphilterati want to submit a flick, I hereby offer you space to host it.
January 15, 2004
Bid to Stop the F-Word on U.S. Airways
So, here's the latest on strides in the campaign against indecency, recently sparked by Bono's utterance of the f-word while accepting an award during the 2003 live broadcast of the "Golden Globe Awards". Michael Powell, U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman, leads the pack.
I never knew NBC was owned by General Electric.
(sorry, too lazy right now to put in all the relevant links... Googling them should be easy enough for Memphilter regulars!)
January 14, 2004
Don't get drunk. Get Drinkalized.
Now that we have our hand signals down pat, we just need something to wet our respective whistles. Having trouble coming up with that perfect concoction to put the wind in your four sheets? Never fear; the Drinkalizer is here.
January 12, 2004
Sam, do something about these godda@#$ fuc#$%^ internet casino as$%^#@, sh%^
Do not post casino ads to this site if you are an internet casino person. Don't put your stupid bullshit in here, if you are the one doing that and you are reading this you should know that you are one the lowest scum crud. You're about as worthless as a shitflake.
Butt-Jigglin Tree Huggah
I you're like me, and I know I am, you just can't get enough name generators! Today's flava: Gansta
January 10, 2004
January 08, 2004
Death and Taxes, Death and Overtime
George W. Bush and his administration since their arrival have talked on and on about helping the poorest, lowest-wage workers in America. They have not come thru for this group of Americans. Here is one immediate example: Bush has declared that helping the lowest-wage earners in America could be done by protecting overtime pay rights for them, doing this by revising old Labor Dept. labor laws and enacting new ones as well. This effects millions of workers. Now, this sounds great and sure does get these millions of people excited: tax cuts, guaranteed overtime pay, man! I'll vote for Bush, this Bush economy is great. The only problem is while these overtime protection laws are put into effect the Labor Dept. is simultaneously telling companies how to protect themselves from the overtime protection pay, the kind of protection that means they won't pay the overtime. Read this article in the USA Today.
Secondly listen to this program from NPR's Fresh Air. Go to this link and click on the "Listen to Journalist David Cay Johnston" link. This is a must-hear!
January 06, 2004
Want to mix it up?
As I was scanning the year's best music lists of The New Yorker and The Morning News, it occurred to me that somewhere between the birth of my child and my 900-mile move, I lost the time to check out new albums (among other things). To add to the frustration, MefiSwap is apparently (at least temporarily) defunct. Perhaps you, dear reader, can help. If anyone is interested in burning and swapping a mix CD or two, let me know. If there is an interest, we'll devise a plan.
January 05, 2004
Quote of the Day, or, Define "Unusual"
"Photo taken near Lake Powell, Utah, using a 35mm disposable camera. No unusual circumstances at the time of the shooting."
-Joe Clower, who apparently doesn't include "A flying saucer hovering overhead" on his list of unusual circumstances. (via MeFi)
January 04, 2004
It's up...and it's GOOD!
It was a nail biter, but the super-geeks at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) scored for the visiting team last night. The Mars Exploration Rover-A Spirit plunked down within 200 meters of its target, evening the score at Mars Demon: 2, Humanity 2. The MER-B Opportunity rover wil get it's chance to break the tie in three weeks.
44-year old kicker Gary Anderson echoed JPL's performance with a season long 46-yard field goal to break a 17-17 tie between the Titans and Ravens in the final seconds of the AFC wildcard game. 46 yards isn't nearly as far as 9 light-minutes, but Mr. Anderson, the league's all time leading scorer, wasn't allowed to use rockets.
January 03, 2004
The Day the War Stopped
Just weeks before the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg were waged in the War Between the States, Lt. Commander John E. Hart of Schenectady, New York, came down with yellow fever. In a fit of delirium, we are told, he committed suicide. Hart was commanding the fittingly-named Albatross for the Union Army, as it laid seige to Port Hudson, Louisiana, one of the two remaining Mississppi River strongholds of the Confederacy (Vicksburg was the other). Hart was a Mason, and his will was to not be buried in the river's waters. A small boat flying a truce flag rowed into St. Francisville to see if there was a lodge there. Indeed there was, the men were told, and the lodge's Grand Master was none other than W.W. Leake, a captain in the Confederate Army currently serving in St. Francisville fighting the seige. Leake believed it to be his duty to provide a proper burial for a fellow Mason. On June 12, 1863, for the purposes of the funeral, a truce was called so that the officers of the Albatross and the Confederate Masons could attend. Weeks later, Port Hudson and Vicksburg fell. Leake survived the war and saw to it that Hart's grave was maintained, and upon his death in 1912, Leake was buried next to Hart's grave. To learn more, you can visit the re-enactment in June.
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