June 27, 2003
"Tryin' to get to heaven before they close the door"
Uh-oh. According to this quiz, I'm not going to heaven.
(Apparently I'm too evil to even finish the quiz. Then when I tried to have some fun, it scolded me: "It appears you may not be taking our little game serious [sic].")
27 Jun 0:28 | Link | Category: Interactive
Online Psychics
I just visited Online Psychics. I tested my connection and I have a very strong connection with my psychic!
(Her name is Nancy. She was born on the Serengeti Plains where her grandmother taught her the ancient secrets of scrying. She also combines tarot with her other psychic talents. She will probably peer into my past life from time to time.)
As soon as I win some money from the lottery, I'll visit the site again to pay for some readings. Wheeeee!
27 Jun 0:20 | Link | Category: Humor
June 26, 2003
An extraterrestrial visits Earth...
An extraterrestrial visits Earth, then heads home to report his findings. (From the same folks who brought you Paper Sky.)
26 Jun 11:50 | Link | Category: Art & Entertainment
June 24, 2003
Predictions for Life in in the year 2000
Predictions for life in the year 2000, circa 1900.
24 Jun 22:58 | Link | Category: Cool Links
The Genius of Bil Keane
I stumbled across a link to an analysis of a Bil Keane work. I liked this for two reasons. First, for many years I insisted on reading the Funnies section every Sunday and I developed a loathing for 'Family Circus' that will never subside. But now I understand the subtle genius! Second, and more importantly, it brought back a flood of memories from an Art History class in which I wrote many a vapid analysis of this or that great work of art. (My clueless instructor and the heathens who wrote the textbook failed to recognize Keane, but this is to be expected.) If only I had this writer's skill, I could have kicked some serious art analysis ass. (If you like it, check out the five other excellent analyses accessible from the Genius Of Bil Keane page.)
24 Jun 0:22 | Link | Category: Humor
June 19, 2003
Pipeline's profits may bypass Africans
The LA Times has published a disappointing but unsurprising report about an oil pipeline project in Chad and Cameroon.
19 Jun 2:11 | Link | Category: Current Events
New antibiotics could prove deadly
New antibiotics could prove deadly, warns one expert. These new antibiotics work in the same way as many of the methods which the body itself has always used to rid itself of bacterial infections. So what happens when bacteria acquire resistance? (It's evvolloootion baaby.) Our own defense mechanisms may be rendered far less potent. The warning has a certain sky-is-falling quality, but still... isn't it almost a given that short-sighted acceptance and use of these antibiotics now will becom a serious problem down the road? (Mother Nature's still very much in control and it's entirely possible that big brains will lose out to little microbes.)
19 Jun 1:55 | Link | Category: Science
What the world thinks of America
The BBC has produced a program that explores what the world thinks of America. At this juncture in time, it seems to me that simply asking the question in the first place ("What do you think of America?) presupposes a certain type of answer, but the results are very interesting nontheless. Be sure to check out some of the online feedback.
19 Jun 1:11 | Link | Category: Current Events
June 10, 2003
Missing WMDs
John Dean has published a thoughtful piece about missing weapons of mass destruction. Like Dean, I hope WMDs are found. It would settle a troubling situation in the best way, and it would avoid Bob Graham's "three other possible alternative scenarios," all unsettling. One is that the weapons made their way out of Iraq and into the hands of various dangerous groups (a situation far more troubling than Saddam having them). A second is that our intelligence was bad. A third scenario is that the intelligence was acceptable but that it was manipulated (or only the bits that supported a certain agenda were picked out) in order to make the case for war.
(If you find the article interesting, also read last year's piece about predicting presidential scandals.)
Hopefully they'll find the weapons and all the prattle will have been irrelevant.
10 Jun 22:58 | Link | Category: Current Events
Pictures of the Week
Check out Time's Pictures of the Week for May 31 - June 5.
10 Jun 22:45 | Link | Category: Photography
June 5, 2003
Playing With Time
Playing With Time is a "project that looks at how the world around you is changing over many different time periods." Be sure to check out their gallery, full of cool time lapse / slow motion movies.
05 Jun 23:54 | Link | Category: Cool Links
Light pollution
The weather has been perfect lately. This includes nighttime, so once or twice I've decided to go outside and have a look at the stars... both times were disappointing. It's only possible to see the very brightest stars. I guess I'll have to trek out to the middle of nowhere (as if I don't live there already) just to see a decent view of the night sky. Read all about light pollution.
05 Jun 23:52 | Link | Category: Cool Links, Science
Electronic junk
I've always thought it best to remain simple and junk-free in life. Yet somehow I have managed to gather a fair amount of junk over the last few years. I've been discovering some of it lately (as I prep for a move). What's been on my mind lately is the staggering amount of material it takes to sustain the typical American lifestyle. For example, imagine the amount of disposable packaging the average American goes through even in one year. It's pretty disturbing.
Anyway, as I was sorting through electronic junk (if you need a 4 port 10-BASE-T hub, an old G4 processor, or an old Kodak DigiCam, I'm your man) I had a good chuckle when I came across a Cue Cat! (The bursting of the tech bubble wasn't all bad now, was it? But don't worry, the dream is still alive!) I toyed around with the idea of actually using it for something, but luckily I decided against it and put it in the donation pile instead. (Repeat after me: "Sim-ple, clutter free, that's the way to be!")
(Update: I'm also selling a USB-Parallel Adapter and a shiny brand new 2 GB Jaz disk. Come on, you know you need this stuff.)
05 Jun 8:54 | Link | Category: Technology & Computing