• Habari gani? Umoja. If you're

    Habari gani? Umoja. If you’re looking for information on Kwanzaa, you can’t go wrong with the Official Kwanzaa Website.

  • Drawing life to a close

    Drawing life to a close with a transcendentally orgasmic bang, and not a pathetic and god-forsaken whimper, can turn dying into the culmination of one's existence rather than its present messy and protracted anti-climax.
    When is it best to take crack cocaine?

  • I was surprised to see

    I was surprised to see the degree to which children's television exists to sell toys to children. When you have the attention of that many kids there's a lot of good you can do that doesn't involve the selling of products. But I always got upset when we got more press for the amount of toys that we have for sale as opposed to the educational value of the show. The one thing I was never comfortable with being the host of 'Blue's Clues' is that television in general has too much influence on children. With Blue's Clues we did everything we could to get the kids' attention, and I always felt that was a tremendous amount of responsibility. Luckily we were always so careful that our content is always good.
    I always knew the Blue's Clues dude was cool. We'll miss you Steve.

  • If a Black Santa can

    If a Black Santa can cause this much trouble (“last year there was a dark-complexioned black Santa, and most of the white families got out of line”), imagine a Black Jesus!

  • Jack Herer for Agriculture, John

    Jack Herer for Agriculture, John Sellers for Defense, Bill Nye in Education – this cabinet has my support.

  • CMJ presents Smashing Peanuts in

    CMJ presents Smashing Peanuts in “A Billy Corgan Christmas”.

  • Among animal cases received recently

    Among animal cases received recently by the Animal Control Division of the Fairfax County Police Department:

    Fair Oaks District, Centreville Rd., 2300 block, Dec. 7. Animal control was called about a squirrel running inside a residence. When an animal control officer saw the squirrel, it jumped into an open baby grand piano. After the officer started playing the song "All I Want" by the group Toad the Wet Sprocket, the squirrel jumped out of the piano and onto curtains, damaging them. The squirrel then jumped onto the officer's head and pounced onto a couch, where the officer was able to catch it. The officer released the animal outside. Neither the squirrel nor the officer was injured.
    The rest of today's Fairfax Weekly Animal Watch isn't quite as interesting.

  • She is wearing a baby

    She is wearing a baby blue sweat shirt with tiny pink flowers. She is not wearing a coat despite the strong winter chill. She holds her own bag of gasoline, a black one, wrapping the plastic around her bleeding lips and nose. The bag swells and sinks, rising and falling. She holds it as if she were blowing up a party balloon. She giggles. She stumbles. She is 10.
    High on Gas and Out of Hope is a devastating story about gasoline addiction among Innu (native Canadian) children.

  • Hey, guy: saw your fucking

    Hey, guy: saw your fucking Jolly Green Giant tee shirt--Ralph the Fake. Thanks. With support from you guys we put The chief into the White House. Now we are going to name 3 or more Supremes and get rid of fuckin gRoe shit and kick the asshole teachers' union to hell and fuck over your social socialitic security and make this one big fucking military camp that will make imperial Rome look small potatoes...again, thanks. Without you and yours, who knows, Gore won but we still lgot in but withoutt you guys he might have really wond!
    People ask me why I do randomWalks -- I do it for the person who sent this (anonymous) email. Every post I post is for you. I love you.

  • This is fantastic! Today borrowed

    This is fantastic! Today borrowed blogs borrowed my blogjam blog about Random Walks borrowing my blog about borrowed blogs borrowing my blog from borrowed blogs! Or something. I feel giddy, and just a trifle sick.
    borrowed from blogjam

  • Every so often it's fun

    Every so often it’s fun to play Guess the Evil Dictator/Sit-Com Character as yourself and see what it comes up with. Just now I was pleased to discover that (apparently due to the birth of my son and my move out of New York) I’m a close match for Mork from Mork and Mindy.

  • Today I'm watching two webcams

    Today I’m watching two webcams to see stuff blow up. The Hoan Bridge Camera is pointing at a condemned bridge in Milwaukee that’s scheduled for demolition, and the Popo volcano webcam is showing a column of smoke (and ash?) rising as high again as the recently-erupted Popocatepetl in Mexico. thanks to lake effect and robotwisdom for the links.

  • In the Beginning was the

    In the Beginning was the Command Line is a short book by Neal Stephenson that's available for download. It considers the evolution of operating systems over the years and is a great read for anyone who wants to know why computers are so damn hard to use and why that's a good thing. Or something. It's free. Read it.
    This was the first post to randomWalks, made one year ago. Check out the rest of the first edition here.

    I created randomWalks mostly as an excuse to post my links open windows code and expose once and for all my sloppy design skills so that people would quit expecting better things from me. I've had a lot of fun working on it and I hope the dozen+ people I've roped into posting take some pleasure in it too. The most interesting thing I've discovered about myself through rW is that I do a better job keeping the site up when I have steady work -- who would have guessed? Whether that's because applying myself to work inspires me to apply myself to other things, or because I'm being paid ungodly amounts of money to surf the web all day is unclear; further experimentation will be required.

    What other trivia can I bore you with on this momentous occasion? In case you haven't noticed (I sometimes forget myself) there's now a parallel blog called randomWalks discourse which was conceived in a fit of confusion but has evolved into a more causal place to stick all kinds of links, comments, snide remarks, untruths about people's mothers, etc which would be out of place on rW proper. I've also invited anyone who's expressed interest in rW to join the fun by posting to rW discourse. If you'd like an invitation, it's yours for the asking. I've also signed up with BlogVoices which lets us have a discussion thread tied to each post here on rW -- the little [discuss] links at the end of each post will pop up a window where you can read comments or add your own.

    I'll be re-posting some more of rW's greatest hits from time to time. I'll give a special bonus prize to the first person who identifies each undisclosed re-post as such (rW posters and their immediate family not eligible for special bonus prizes).

  • Get ready to play Name

    Get ready to play Name that Candybar, a.k.a. Twelve Things I May Never Eat Again.

  • United Skates of America is

    United Skates of America is a photo essay on New Jersey roller-skating rinks 1976-1979.

  • W.E.B. Du Bois, one of

    W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the great intellectuals of American society, wrote that white people are rewarded for their support of a system that largely does not benefit them - in terms of how much power and wealth is concentrated into the hands of the few. He called this reward, the "psychological wages of whiteness". The ability of white people to think of themselves as better than Black folks, regardless of how poor they are, how many hours they have to work, how their labor makes someone else rich. "I might be poor, but at least I'm not a nigger" is how white identity helps shape a horribly disfigured humanity of hierarchy and punishment in the service of power and wealth. If white people are to work for an end to racial injustice then we must come to understand how the psychological wages of whiteness have (mis)shaped our identity and (de)formed our consciousness. Until white people confront their internalized superiority, the dynamics of racism will be reproduced unconsciously. Becoming conscious of how race operates, one will still make many mistakes and reproduce racism, but at least we can work to undo this and undermine this dynamic. Furthermore, when the internalized impact of white supremacy - of (un)consciously believing that white people are simply better - is confronted by white people, then as bell hooks suggests, new identities can be shaped and we can work to define our own reality.
    That's one to grow on, excerpted from White Supremacy on My Mind: Learning to Undermine Racism by Chris Crass.

  • "Usually, if you wait long

    "Usually, if you wait long enough, someone will ask your question," U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas explained. How can the only black judge on the court really believe that?
    Clarence Thomas may not have any questions, but Courtland Milloy does.

  • Good digital photography website. thanks,

    Good digital photography website. thanks, brainlog.

  • You should be printing these

    I am the Boss of You!
    You should be printing these posters

  • Video Backpacker: To me, my

    Video Backpacker: To me, my thing is, a video image is much more powerful and useful than an actual event. Like back when I used to go out, when I was last out, I was walking down the street and this guy, that came barreling out of a bar, fell right in front of me, and he had a knife right in his back, landed right on the ground and... Well, I have no reference to it now. I can't put it on pause. I can't put it on slow mo and see all the little details. And the blood, it was all wrong. It didn't look like blood. The hue was off. I couldn't adjust the hue. I was seeing it for real, but it just wasn't right. And I didn't even see the knife impact on the body. I missed that part.
    This line from Richard Linklater's 1991 film Slacker sounded rather benignly absurd at the time, but I find myself coming closer and closer to not just understanding this perspective but assuming it. If you haven't yet got a TiVo, be warned -- it heralds a deep revolution in perception.

    After a few days with the service, it felt completely natural to pause and rewind live TV. Fine, good -- that's what it's for. But I soon found myself expecting to have that kind of control over more than just TV. On the commute home when I'd realize I missed the beginning of a good story on All Things Considered, I found myself reaching for a rewind knob on my radio (and why not?) The weirdest moment came a couple weeks ago when I was on the phone with my dad. I noticed I'd tuned him out in favor of the latest slashdot headlines, and for just an instant, I fully intended to back up a few moments and listen again to what he had been saying. I was absolutely certain this was possible. My mind reflexively told my body to make it so, but my body couldn't find a rewind button. Now, come to think of it, a telephone handset sure could have one -- but I wasn't looking for it on the telephone. I was looking for it in my brain. I want a TiVo in my head.

    I should emphasize that it's not the technology that's remarkable to me. The technology is merely cool, and ultimately sort of obvious in the way all great inventions are. What's remarkable is how quickly and deeply I've integrated the notion that something which for my whole life moved in one direction past me, like a river or the wind, suddenly has form -- I can reverse it, repeat, duplicate, expand or compress it. I pull it it stretches; I snap it it breaks. About the only thing unique about Silly Putty now is that it bounces.

    Clearly a wearable TiVo is not too far off -- it will probably look like a pair of sunglasses and a walkman. As best I can tell, it's only a matter of time before I do have control over pretty much everything I see or hear.

  • Somehow within the last 12

    Somehow within the last 12 months it seems that nearly everyone I know has obtained a copy of Real Vegetarian Thai – though I don’t think anyone has actually tried a recipe from it yet. Have you used it?

  • I am Curry. A slim

    I am Curry. A slim and handsome race car driver. Here are some FAST and BASIC facts about me!!!

  • "I always thought Satan would

    “I always thought Satan would be a Republican…"

  • The world's largest river by

    The world’s largest river by volume, drainage basin, number of tributaries, and possibly length begins “high in the Peruvian Andes as a thin sheet of crystal water flowing down the side of a rock wall”. A spot on a slope of Nevado Mismi meets both definitions of the source of the Amazon, being the furthest point in the watershed from which water flows continuously as well as the furthest point from which water could possibly flow into the ocean. A five-nation National Geographic Society expedition pinpointed the source of the Amazon using GPS technology.

  • The United States Department of

    The United States Department of State’s handy guide to renunciation of U.S. citizenship, for babygrrl and for future reference. (Print it out and keep it in your pocket!)

  • Since I'm Japanese, and Japan

    Since I'm Japanese, and Japan experienced the nuclear bomb, I feel a need to address this. So there's news footage from the actual nuclear bombing in the game, showing what happened, and what's happening with the anti-nuclear-weapons movement today is worked in, too. That way people can learn about these issues -- even if just a little -- while they are playing the game.
    FEED talks with Hideo Kojima, creator of Metal Gear Solid.

  • I take a PILL-tiddley

    I take a
    PILL-tiddley pom
    It keeps me
    STILL-tiddley pom,
    It keeps me
    STILL-tiddley pom
    Not
    fiddling.

    Given his coexisting ADHD and OCD, we question whether Pooh may over time present with Tourette's syndrome. Pooh is also clearly described as having Very Little Brain. The cause of Pooh's poor brain growth may be found in the stories themselves. Early on we see Pooh being dragged downstairs bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head. Could his later cognitive struggles be the result of a type of Shaken Bear Syndrome?
    Pathology in the Hundred Acre Wood: a neurodevelopmental perspective on A.A. Milne

  • The FEED special issue on

    The FEED special issue on drugs features a story on less well-known psychedelic compounds in which the author talks to Sasha Shulgin (PiHKAL and TiHKAL) and to Vaults of Erowid webmaster Earth, as well as a story on underground psychedelic psychotherapy sessions.

  • To say it in Mad

    To say it in Mad Ape Den is to say it in one, in two, or in one and two (as I do now), but not in two and two and so on.

    If Mad Ape Den has you raw and sad, try the new Van – it’s fun! But is a Mad Ape Den Van to be had?

    And if you can do one and one and two, you can see why Al has e be mc2 (for if you sit or if you go – tug or no – the sun is red as Al’s say so).

    But for a far-out irk, try to say it and not use “e”!

  • You think the fiction of

    You think the fiction of Hollywood has to be exaggerated, and it's just not. I was shocked. I always thought there were really smart people working in Hollywood who were just really cynical, and they knew that the movies they were making were not that good, and they were doing it because they tested well. But mostly it's a very middlebrow to lowbrow kind of town. And they're making films that they approve of.
    Daniel Clowes' Ghost World is in print as a comic and in production as a film.

  • Dr Daniel Levin, a psychologist

    Dr Daniel Levin, a psychologist at Kent State University in Ohio, said the inability to recognise faces of people from another race is usually explained by saying that people have less experience of seeing them. His study shows the problem is not that we cannot identify the details, it is that we don't pay attention to them.
    The gently-worded wire story goes on to suggest that whites do significantly worse at recognition than Blacks (it's unfortunate that other groups don't seem to have been included). This is the psychology of racism folks -- do you recognize yourself in this story? Dr. Levin has published a page summarizing his face categories research.

  • Corners on the Curving Sky

    Corners on the Curving Sky by Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000)

    Our earth is round, and, among other things
    That means that you and I can hold
    completely different
    Points of view and both be right.
    The difference of our positions will show
    Stars in your window. I cannot even imagine.
    Your sky may burn with light,
    While mine, at the same moment,
    Spreads beautiful to darkness.
    Still, we must choose how we separately corner
    The circling universe of our experience
    Once chosen, our cornering will determine
    The message of any star and darkness we
    encounter.

  • A: "the sound of 20

    A: “the sound of 20 erasers rubbing against paper”
    Q: What is a typical art class response when a male model gets an erection?

  • How sexy can a woman

    How sexy can a woman be if she hates her body? She can act sexy, but can she feel sexy? How fully can she surrender to passion if she is worried that her thighs are too heavy or her stomach too round, if she can't bear to be seen in the light, or if she doesn't like the fragrance of her own genitals?
    Media activist Jean Kilbourne explains the psychopathology of advertising.

  • Today is the anniversary of

    Today is the anniversary of the N30 protests in Seattle – protests that shut down the WTO conference and exposed the fear and contempt with which the plutocracy regards the rights, beliefs, and bodies of the public. A lot of people are remembering the protest today: check out John Butler’s thread on Metafilter and Dr. Menlo’s N30 tribute for a start. If you’re lucky, This is What Democracy Looks Like may be screening in your area this weekend. Keep an window on the Seattle Indymedia center, for the protestors have promised to return, and the Mayor has asked for a media blackout while he enacts his revenge.

  • MST3K meets "Dark Dungeons", an

    MST3K meets “Dark Dungeons”, an anti-D&D comic screed by Jack Chick: two great tastes that taste great together.

  • Dave Eggers reviews four recently

    panel from Dan Clowes' David Boring
    Dave Eggers reviews four recently published books by four of the greatest living comic artists for the New York Times. thanks, tripping.

  • Lots of fun with crayons

    Lots of fun with crayons and with pencils?

  • There are many people who

    There are many people who believe that the human mind, based on neurons and physical principles, is just a very sophisticated formal system. Does Gödel's theorem imply the existence of facts that must be true, but that our minds can never prove? Or even stronger, that our minds can never believe -- or strongest yet, ever conceive?
    From Kenny's Overview of Hofstadter's Explanation of Gödel's Theorem, via the always-rewarding larkfarm.

  • I dated Yumi for awhile,

    I dated Yumi for awhile, and I have to confess I became very attached to her. Yumi could get very angry over small things. She would yell at me and ignore me the exact same way as all my other girlfriends have. Finally I decided to stop the relationship. It was too draining for me. It was hard sometimes to remember that Yumi wasn't real.

  • I poured the French roast

    I poured the French roast I'd brought for us to share. She smiled. I placed a rose between us. She demurely looked away. I reached for her hand. She reached for mine. They almost seemed to touch. But almost was not enough. Her fingertips broke up into shards of three-dimensional light as they pushed toward me, out of the range of her imaging computers.
    The Washington Post is carrying an interesting article about the progress and shortcomings of tele-immersion. It looks we've got a long way to go before the technology can convey the crucial subtleties of face-to-face interaction such as eye contact duration, pupil dilation, nuances of posture, and the musical qualities of speech.

  • You can only get six

    You can only get six shooters at any time, so the margin for error is narrower than on any other legendary golden age game. Plus, the game is faster and more ferocious than even Robotron when played on difficulty level #9.
    Following last year's amazing perfect game of Pac-Man ("It was tremendously monotonous"), Twin Galaxies -- the "worldwide authority" on videogame rankings and statistics -- certified a new Centipede world record this week. The previous record stood for fourteen years.

  • If we'd been taught this

    If we’d been taught this Virginia history in 4th grade (and taken a couple of field trips) I’d have become an historian!

  • Today's Astronomy Picture of the

    Today’s Astronomy Picture of the Day is a stunning image of Earth at night. The full-size image (534k) demands a few moments of reflection. The earth observatory site provides some more background information. It might be interesting to compare this illustration with a political atlas of the world.

  • A thread on creating Aqua-style

    A thread on creating Aqua-style interface elements and other graphics at the MacNN forums links to Phong’s eplastic tutorial and a couple other promising resources.

  • "Of course you must vomit,"

    "Of course you must vomit," the interpreter said. "But this is an experience of a lifetime. Your instructor wishes to assure you that you will vomit with satisfaction."
    BBC correspondent Emma-Jane Kirby files a report from zero gravity.

  • I just can't get enough

    I just can’t get enough of this picture from the great fires this past summer. It’s quite arresting – and I can feel the heat on my eyeballs!

  • An optics researcher has developed

    An optics researcher has developed a procedure which can improve anybody’s eyesight – no matter how good. I want to be a cyborg when I grow up.

  • Somebody really hates us?!

    Somebody really hates us?!

  • limn: to draw or paint;

    limn: to draw or paint; to trace or delineate; to depict or describe

    A singularly beautiful word – but has anyone used it in a sentence in the past 300 years? Yes!

  • When I was little, the

    When I was little, the classified ads fascinated me. Like, who was selling their crypt? The ad said "evenings". It seemed like such an obvious trick.
    New One Hundred Demons by Lynda Barry, a jive-ass faker who can't spell and has no idea what "story structure" even means, and all is well with the world.

  • Of some interest: Yahoo News'

    Of some interest: Yahoo News' most-emailed content.

  • Slicing up eyeballs, I want

    Slicing up eyeballs, I want you to know!

  • Iron Chef Kono ato "is

    Iron Chef Kono ato “is dedicated to Iron Chef that has not aired or will not air in United States”.

  • Well, my little friend, you've

    Well, my little friend, you’ve got something jammed in here real good.

  • Can anyone help Fred find

    Can anyone help Fred find a used car?

  • He tried various other angles

    He tried various other angles on convincing me that there's no way you could prank someone by e-flatulating in their cubicle. I still wasn't convinced, so we went round and round about email, rotting flesh, and flatulence for like 5 minutes before we both realized that the conversation we were having was sounding more and more bizarre. At this point I just thanked him for his time and took off.
    Did you make a pootie?

  • At the National Cigar Museum:

    At the National Cigar Museum: Racism Sells Cigars.

  • Minibosses is the band I

    Minibosses is the band I always wanted to start.

  • There I was, wallowing for

    There I was, wallowing for weeks in my unemployment misery, when one day, bam! I was watching the movie Pulp Fiction. And you know that scene where they blew the guy away in the back of the car and then had to bring in Harvey Keitel to clean the whole thing up?
    From the first chapter of Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs at the Turn of the Millennium.

  • It appears the only thing

    It appears the only thing spoiled by the Nader candidacy was the Democrats' ability to think critically.

  • Bill Gates has seen the

    Bill Gates has seen the future of personal computing, and it’s… a Newton?

  • Virtually the entire world, including

    Virtually the entire world, including the United States and the UN Security Council, regards Israel's occupation of Palestinian land as a violation of international law. Yet in a typical news story reporting on "Palestinian violence" against Israeli occupation soldiers, viewers are not told that Palestinians are fighting against a military occupation. The right to use force to resist foreign occupation is universally recognized and enshrined in international law.
    Something's rotten in the state of mideast coverage. thanks, thewebtoday.

  • "Governor Bush feels that

    "Governor Bush feels that Eminem is the perfect embodiment of what his presidency can accomplish," said Karen Hughes, Bush's communications director. "Like the governor, Eminem is charismatic, funny, and extremely dangerous to women, homosexuals, the country, and the world."
    Mired reports that Eminem will speak at Bush's inauguration. (Obviously a satirical piece, but I think this interview with Mos Def is for real. Who are these guys?)

  • This premature ejaculation is so

    This premature ejaculation is so buggy I’ll never be able to convince my NS4 friends to switch to it, which means it’ll be that much longer before I can spiff up my site with more and sexier CSS – but someone just came by and tossed me a NS6 t-shirt! “The Code is Ready… are you?” Woohoo!

  • Logo Design Workshop, parts one

    Logo Design Workshop, parts one and two. Logos for the Design Challenged in 19 parts. Happy companies, sad companies. xblog on logos and symbols. And, of course, swish, swirl, and swoosh.

  • This is the burrito page

    This is the burrito page with the burrito personality-style test that New Yorker article mentions. It’s a great page in that it covers one of the greatest possible topics for a web page, but otherwise it’s pretty piss-poor – which can be only partially attributed to the paucity of burrito information on this world wide web. A google search reveals a few data points, vegetarian burrito recipes (umm, fresh onion-tomato-cilantro salsa, rice maybe cooked with a little peanut oil, and your choice of beans cooked as you like them rolled up in the largest tortilla you can find is a good starting point), and of course the site that turns you into a burrito, but not much else besides way too many links to the world’s largest burrito which couldn’t possibly be as interesting as the world’s smallest burrito, which I’m going to make this week by wrapping a single grain of rice and one bean in a tortilla the size of my fingertip.

  • My uncle told me the

    My uncle told me the story of this place when I was 13 and I didn't believe it until I saw it. The story goes that during WWII the US was worried that the Germans would try to bomb US airports, so they built a fake town just east of Richmond International Airport (then called Byrd Airport). The town is strange to see -- it consistes of roads, sidewalks, driveways that lead to nothing, streetlights, sewer covers, mailboxes, even the occasional park bench. It also had a runway with landing lights. All the lights were designed to be turned on in case of an air raid and at the same time, the real airport and all of Richmond would be blacked out in the hopes that the Germans would bomb the fake town.
    The only Virginia listing on ghosttowns.com (listed as Portugue Road), some research reveals that this construction project located on Portugee Road east of Richmond International Airport was better known as Elko tract (or Lost City to locals who used to park and party there) until some short-sighted bureaucrat decided that rural Virginia needs semiconductor plants more than it needs a fascinating historical and cultural landmark. I was excited for about 45 minutes this morning at the prospect of exploring and photographing the unusual site, but now that I know it's become the White Oak Technology Park, this aerial picture is probably as close as I'll come to Elko.

  • the continued weaning of america from it's fascination with cola taste goes on!

  • Metafilter-by-numbers

    Metafilter-by-numbers

  • In case you're not completely

    In case you’re not completely saturated in election coverage, analysis, analysis of coverage, and analysis of analysis, three of my favorite websites are doing a much better job of linking and thinking about these things than I could hope to. Please visit:

  • The real blame rests with

    The real blame rests with a Democratic Leadership Council that is pro-death-penalty, pro-censorship, pro-corporation, pro-plutarchy, pro-military-buildup and pro-drug-war, and yet still somehow, against all logic, expects Liberal support. Listen up Gore. Listen up Lieberman. If you abandon the Left, the Left will abandon you. This lesson should be etched into your brains with a big Green tattoo the size of Florida with the name Ralph Nader all over it.

  • Of course, the liberals will

    Of course, the liberals will insist there are environmental explanations for white drug and alcohol problems. One can imagine them trying to blame two-earner white families for being too busy with their dot-com startup or landscaping classes at Home Depot to give their children the nurturing needed to resist drugs.
    This quote is from Tim Wise's brilliant open letter to the Pioneer Fund ("committed to the proposition that people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds are, on the basis of heredity, inherently unequal"), but if you only read one of his many articles on AlterNet, read Acknowledging and Challenging Whiteness.

  • Thanks to misnomer for tipping

    Thanks to misnomer for tipping me off to the latest edition of Scott McCloud’s online comic column I can’t stop thinking!

  • I can't speak for all

    I can't speak for all Nader voters, but I can speak as a Nader voter, and the fact of the matter is that Ralph Nader spoke to the issues and ideals that most concern me as a citizen. Call me a crazy radical Lefty, but I'm more concerned with the vast amounts of money permeating and polluting our political process than I am about whether or not elderly voters can get their drugs on the cheap. And, yes, the issue of character was a factor too. Given a false choice between two desperate, inadequate fortunate sons grasping to escape their fathers' shadows, I chose instead to pick a man who'd devoted his entire life really fighting for the people of this nation. In sum, given the candidates on the ballot, I believe Nader was - and is - the best choice.

    But - and this is what the Goreites just can't seem to understand - had Nader not been on the ballot and this had been a two-man race, I still would not have voted for Gore. I would have abstained in the Presidential race and voted solely for local and congressional candidates and ballot initiatives. Meaning that, at least in my case, Nader is not responsible for my not voting for Gore. Al Gore lost my vote before Nader ever won it.
    What he said.

  • Two days after the election,

    Two days after the election, we still don’t know who the next president will be. How did things get to be so weird?

  • Not to belabor the day's

    Not to belabor the day’s news, but the word out of Florida is pretty astounding – 19,000 Palm Beach ballots have been tossed out for being punched in two places, ballots are showing up which had been “forgotten” Tuesday night, Blacks were turned away from the polls yesterday, and it even looks like the flawed design of the Palm Beach ballot was illegal under Florida law!

  • Wow -- Buchanan did really

    Wow – Buchanan did really well in Palm Beach County, Florida. Odd, don’t you think?

  • Amy Goodman of Pacifica Radio's

    Amy Goodman of Pacifica Radio’s Democracy Now! (“The Exception to the Rulers”) maneuvered a get-out-the-vote telephone call by President Clinton to WBAI in New York into a 30-minute interview addressing such controversial topics as the death penalty, sanctions against Iraq, clemency for Native American activist Leonard Peltier, relations with Cuba and China, racial profiling, and the candidacy of Ralph Nader! A transcript is available, and the audio is extremely compelling listening.

  • I'm getting ready to go

    I'm getting ready to go vote ... then my girlfriend and I are going to do something absolutely numbing, like drink a bottle of gin and go see "Charlie's Angels" or the like. That way when I find out who won tomorrow, I will already have my blinding headache and wrenching nausea firmly in place.
    I found this MeFi post pretty amusing.

  • NewsForChange is carrying live election

    NewsForChange is carrying live election night updates from the Nader campaign headquarters.

  • Why do they just make

    Why do they just make fun of each other?
    WP columnist Marc Fisher's 9-year-old daughter on viewing a dozen presidential campaign ads.

  • Editorial: Exit poll results: post

    Editorial: Exit poll results: post ‘em if you got ‘em.

  • It will be a rally

    It will be a rally either way. You basically have a choice between a candidate who is pro-business and one who is more pro-business.
    Wall street is looking forward to a post-election rally, which should be good for the billionaires any way you slice it.

  • If you need to do

    If you need to do some last-minute research about the choices you’ll be met with in the voting booth today, you could do worse than look up your local chapter of the League of Women’s Voters. Your local paper has probably published a voter’s guide as well; check to see if it’s online.

  • Anticipating the results: the WP

    Anticipating the results: the WP offers a guide to watching the media watch the returns.

  • To hold infinity in the

    To hold infinity in the palm of your hand – not quite, but Planetarium for the Palm comes pretty close.

  • The multi-talented Gillian Anderson drops

    The multi-talented Gillian Anderson drops LAN switching science for RouterGod.com.

  • It is olive picking season

    It is olive picking season in Palestine. thanks, le blogeur.

  • The mothers are going to

    The mothers are going to walk right up to that computer and say, My children are dying, what can you do? They're not going to sit there and like, browse eBay or something.
    Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates addressing the Creating Digital Dividends conference in Seattle.

  • My initiation into the mysteries

    My initiation into the mysteries of the database came unexpectedly today, with a request for a quick-and-dirty Microsoft Access job. I was delighted to discover that O’Reilly offers up database design principles as a sample chapter on their site. Of course, I started to get lost about 1/6 of the way in when the author talks about normal forms, but this totally abstract theory is just the stuff I love to smash my head on over and over and over until something breaks.

  • The e-mail's creator could be

    The e-mail’s creator could be guilty of voter fraud, a felony that carries a penalty of 16 months to three years in prison.

  • Cornel West: I’m for brother

    Cornel West: I’m for brother Ralph Nader. Not because he’s a perfect candidate — no candidate is perfect. But for me on personal grounds, I reached a point where working people and poor people are so disregarded and disrespected by a corporate-dominated Democratic Party that you have to begin a new cycle somewhere with somebody. And this broadens the discourse and broadens the engagement. And maybe we can see a little leftward leaning in the Dem ocratic Party. We shall see.

    Salim Muwakkil: The choice between Green Party candidate Ralph Nader and Democrat Al Gore is an agonizing choice, for all the obvious reasons. The choice is a bit clearer for African-Americans, however, who likely would bear the brunt of a Republican administration should George W. Bush squeak past Gore. What’s more, there’s a good chance that Congress will remain in the GOP’s hands; that dire prospect would set the stage for a three-branch assault on the very idea of an activist, progressive government. It was that idea that justified programs designed to redress the varied legacies of slavery and Jim Crow apartheid. I remember the dirty dozen years of the Reagan-Bush regime and its dire consequences. But I also remember how that era started and how many progressives urged a vote for independent candidate John Anderson in the 1980 election that launched Reagan; Jimmy Carter was too tepid a liberal for our tastes. The black community is still paying a steep price for the perverse policies put in place during that benighted era. Nader clearly is the best man for the job, but I’m voting for the lesser of the two-party evils. The worst of those evils is just too likely to cause too much damage.

    Ishmael Reed: The white left can afford to experiment with Nader, because they agree with Bush that the problems African-Americans face are traceable to their personal behavior. As an African-American, I have to go with Gore, given the alternative. The Bush family gave us Willie Horton, drugs in the inner city, the outrage of Tulia, Texas, where 17 percent of the adult African-American population was rounded up and humiliated before photographers on trumped-up drug charges that were based upon the testimony of a corrupt undercover agent. And recently George W. Bush and his wife defended the Confederate flag. She even said that the Confederate flag was part of the Southern heritage. I wonder what heritage she’s talking about? Whipping people? George Bush’s enthusing about the reading scores of African-American fourth-graders has got to be the most cynical act in recent political history. The Bush family is always using black people for one purpose or the other. Bush’s father is famous for the Willie Horton campaign, in which they used a negative image of black people to gain 30 points among white male voters in the South during the time that Horton ad was used. In this case, they’re using black people to show their compassionate conservatism.
    Check out this great LA Weekly feature to see who other lefty thinkers are voting for and why.

  • If you happen to find

    If you happen to find yourself in conversation with a stranger, what's wrong with talking about France's surprising victory in the World Cup, say, instead of mining the Francophile roots of ambulatory social commentary?
    Patrick Tracey struggles with the merits and demerits of psychogeography for the Washington City Paper. I am heartened to discover that the Washington Psychogeography Association is now accepting members.

  • I love this bilingual presentation

    I love this bilingual presentation of The Cure B-Sides lyrics. Now why haven’t these songs been released on anything but a too-long tangle-prone cassette?

  • Sure, no one's offended by

    Sure, no one's offended by a lego Mona Lisa, but will the same be true when someone finally builds a lego Piss Christ?
    Slashdot reader Anne Marie wants you to support funding for the arts.

  • I finally found a Community

    I finally found a Community Supported Agriculture farm that serves my area! Fresh local ripe organic produce from June thru October for about $300 – incredible! (Can you tell I’m excited?) If you find this appealing, see if there’s a CSA farm near you.

  • What you should know about

    What you should know about Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

  • If (like me) you spent

    If (like me) you spent way too much time playing the original Nintendo as a child, you’re sure to love Seanbaby’s NES page. Of special note are the twenty worst Nintendo games of all time and the NES congratulation! awards. thank you, mr barrett.

  • Salon profiles Alan Moore, eccentric

    Salon profiles Alan Moore, eccentric comic book genius; I just want to beseech him, “darling don’t you go and cut your hair.”

  • The Frog Farm FAQ is

    The Frog Farm FAQ is an endlessly fascinating document detailing our rights, in theory and in practice, as citizens of the United States. Very scary reading for Halloween.

  • Nader will be on ABC's

    Nader will be on ABC’s Nightline tonight along with Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura for a town meeting-style discussion.

  • When I chew the etiquette

    When I chew the etiquette gum, I feel the need to stand up straight. You can't slouch and chew etiquette gum.
    What's up with those inscrutable Japanese candy wrappers?

  • Metafilter thread about online comics,

    Metafilter thread about online comics, for future reference.

  • "Lenny Lambchop" was getting up

    "Lenny Lambchop" was getting up on telephone boxes in NYC lower east side around 2 am; the bars were letting out. Two beautiful working girls wobbled over to him and asked if they could have posters. "What are you gonna do with 'em?," he asked. One of the ladies, wearing a too short spandex something, replied, "I'm gonna put "MEN WITH NO LIPS" up in my room." Concerned, L.L. said, "But we want lots of people to see them." The other woman winked, "Oh they will, honey, at least twenty people a night!" Good enough.
    From The Guerrilla Posterers' Guide.

  • Lotto, a short story by

    Lotto, a short story by Douglas Coupland. thanks, matt.

  • -- or have you forgotten

    -- or have you forgotten NAFTA, GATT, the WTO, the continuation of the drug war, the Defense of Marriage Act, the erosion of civil liberties, the dismantling of the social safety net, the unprecedented concentration of corporate power -- not to mention the bombing of Iraq, Sudan, and Afghanistan --
    I remember, Sparky.

  • They're a kind of slick

    They're a kind of slick impostor band that lead critics and hapless rock fans down the dangerous path of asking, "How relevant is this?" instead of asking, "Does this fucking rock?"
    Not everyone likes Radiohead.

  • A new concept in blogging:

    A new concept in blogging: Can’t think of anything to say? What the hell, just borrow someone else’s life.
    posted by Cobbler

      Actually, I find it a good idea. Taken out of context, the entries are often funny, and the blog has highlighted more unknown (to me) blogs than any other. The concept of meta-weblogs that highlight quality or interesting stuff like this hasn’t really been explored.
      posted by mathowie

      I like it too. Erik made a different sort of “cut-up” blog– but with journal entries– at his Tower Of Babble.
      posted by schlomo

      Well, it’s sorta kinda just a blog with bigger pull quotes than most.
      And no editorial.
      Much closer to the concept “pre-surf” than most current weblogs seem to be today.
      posted by baylink

  • Educate yourself about the Mideast

    Educate yourself about the Mideast

  • We'reallfamilyhere.

    We’re
    all
    family
    here.

  • THIS IS SANDOU STYLE!! thanks,

    nevermind legos
    THIS IS SANDOU STYLE!! thanks, allaboutgeorge.

  • Robot Wisdom is hot right

    Robot Wisdom is hot right now, with over a dozen great links near the top.

  • if Gore really wants Green

    if Gore really wants Green votes, he should trade for them, like, say, an end to Iraq sanctions!
    Kendall Clark pulls no punches over at the Monkeyfist Daily Churn.

  • It should help us all

    It should help us all sleep a little better to know we're taking away violent criminals' taste for blood.
    Federal prisons now offer vegan meals.

  • Curry addictive? I believe it

    Curry addictive? I believe it – I can’t get enough of the stuff.

  • Igor Sergeev's "Red Hair and

    Red Hair and Voice
    Igor Sergeev’s “Red Hair and Voice” (30x45, ink on paper) at the Outsider Art Museum in Moscow.
    More from recent NPR programs:

  • The secrets of Colombian currency

    The secrets of Colombian currency counterfeiting operations. thanks, gulfstream.

  • This attempt to kill low-power

    This attempt to kill low-power FM behind closed doors smacks of everything that Americans have come to distrust about our democratic process.
    FCC chairman William Kennard is hip hop.

  • A couple of randomWalks editors,

    A couple of randomWalks editors, (no, not me) and some friends and family members are running “The People’s Marathon” tomorrow. I should have made randomWalks t-shirts, but I doubt anyone would have worn them. Hell, I wouldn’t wear one. I would write randomWalks.com on my arm though… in real big letters in black magic marker. Right now.

  • New One Hundred Demons by

    New One Hundred Demons by Lynda Barry – this time it’s really about a demon.

  • What a Bodhisattva Does

    What a Bodhisattva Does

  • True Food Shopping List -

    True Food Shopping List - how to avoid genetically engineered food.

  • On September 14, Steve Yasko

    On September 14, Steve Yasko called me to a meeting with Pacifica General Managers. KPFK Manager Mark Schubb, expressed his repeated criticism that audiences don't want to hear graphic details of police brutality before breakfast, or as he said last year "before I have my coffee." He criticized our coverage of Mumia Abu-Jamal, East Timor and questioned why I asked Spike Lee about his affiliation with Nike. Pacifica's Chief Financial Officer weighed in with her criticism of American prisoner Lori Berenson in Peru, (we had just aired an exclusive interview with her that received widespread national press.) After the meeting, Yasko took me into the hotel lobby and shouted, "I am your boss! I am your boss!"
    From Amy Goodman's memo to the Pacifica Board of Directors regarding the future of the most important show on radio, Democracy Now!

  • Marathon etiquette.

    Marathon etiquette.

  • How to win at pinewood

    How to win at pinewood derby. Where was the Net when I was painting my car with my Mom’s nail polish? What the hell was I thinking?

  • What the Japanese are selling

    What the Japanese are selling is nothing more than cabbage sprinkled with seasonings and artificial flavorings. This debate is not just about protecting our market share. We are trying to preserve our national heritage.
    Looks like the kimchi wars are old news, though I just heard about them today on marketplace.

  • Working on Same Painting: Sorry

    Working on Same Painting: Sorry I'm late.
    Having a Breakthrough Day: That's all right. Time doesn't exist.
    Get me drunk and I can recite this movie (Slacker) backwards. You didn't need to know that. Quote courtesy Andy's Movie Quote Page.

  • For the past four years,

    For the past four years, whenever Odenton resident Gwen Jones has found coins on the floor or sidewalk, she has put them in a pink piggy bank covered with polka-dotted pigs. Gwen says such saving is important because "you could get something if you save your money. . . . I could buy stuff from a bubble gum machine." Once, she took money out to buy some ice cream. Saving pennies allows Gwen to buy more than any individual pennies could buy. However, since piggy banks provide less-than-competitive interest rates, she isn't keeping up with inflation.
    The Washington Post takes a crack at some common aphorisms.

  • Even though Ralph Nader was

    Even though Ralph Nader was not allowed to enter the debate floor, we managed to get him in the debate - if only sonically! You'll hear the three Presidential candidates debate issues from affirmative action, to the current Middle East crisis to universal healthcare. It's what we here at Democracy Now think democracy should sound like.
    This excellent DIY debate combines tuesday's CPD debate with Nader's Madison Square Garden speech and requires realplayer.

  • In last night's debate, Bush

    In last night’s debate, Bush reassured the American people that he has absolutely no idea what affirmative action is. If you think it’s got anything to do with quotas or with hiring less-than-qualified applicants then neither do you. Someone ought to send this info on pertinent Supreme Court decisions along to the Bush campaign for the governor’s edification. Yesterday’s New York Times carried an op-ed which examines a critical review of 200 scientific studies of affirmative action and concludes that the facts vindicate such policies. In fact, a Nobel Prize for Economics was awarded last week to an economist who developed methods of analysis which, among other things, demonstrated the effectiveness of affirmative action in integrating the textile industry. Little-known fact: the greatest beneficiary of affirmative action has been white women.

  • Void-of-course Moon charts for the

    Void-of-course Moon charts for the year 2000, Eastern time. thanks, astrogirl.

  • USAT says that on who

    USAT says that on who would better handle the Middle East crisis, Gore edges Bush 47-43 percent, but that when it comes to better handling the attack in Yemen on the U.S. destroyer Cole, it's Bush 46-41 percent. Somebody should tell the pollsters and the voters that the attack is part of the Middle East crisis.
    From Slate's Today's Papers by Scott Shuger.

  • I got my sexy Monkeyfist

    monkeyfist.com sticker
    I got my sexy Monkeyfist stickers in the mail this weekend. Thanks Kendall!

  • I just discovered that Slate

    if they ALL say the megamerger is good for us consumers, they MUST be right!
    I just discovered that Slate has tons of political cartoons online.

  • Like Nader but hate Bush?

    Like Nader but hate Bush? Invisible Broadcast System breaks down the electoral college system to demonstrate that a vote for Nader is just a vote for Nader (and not a vote for Bush) if you vote in one of the many states in which the race is not at all close.

  • There's a lot of good

    There’s a lot of good stuff over at Kestrel’s Nest right now. Don’t miss this photo of Al Gore explaining how to hypnotize chickens or this note about Bush’s policy on Africa.

  • Sure, we'll crack SDMI. *After*

    Sure, we'll crack SDMI. *After* the record companies and any consumer-electronics companies gullible enough to do their bidding have sunk billions of dollars into hardware and business plans based on it. Hasta la vista, idiots!
    The Secure Digital Music Initiative is an industry effort to kill MP3s and assert unthinkable control over when where and how you listen to music in the future. It looks like Eric S. Raymond spoke too soon, though -- every proposed SDMI watermarking scheme has been broken. Let's just hope this is the last we ever hear of it.

  • 2001: A Space Odyssey original

    2001: A Space Odyssey original cinematic program – somehow this is very important.

  • Last night the toilet talked.

    Last night the toilet talked. Tomorrow it may listen, and the day after it just might run a drug test.
    Is nothing sacred?

  • The latest episode of Poynter.org's

    The latest episode of Poynter.org’s Diversity Digest links to some good articles including a story on the increasing use of interracial people and families in marketing and one about the immigration of Mexicans to the rural American South.

  • The New York Times carries

    The New York Times carries a pretty fascinating report on employing gender stereotypes to enhance the synthesized speech interfaces coming soon to a portal near you. I wonder when the researchers will determine that I want my kitchen appliances to talk to me in an old Black woman’s voice, my robot vacuum/duster to have a Spanish accent, and my math tutor to sound ever so slightly Asian.

  • Gardner: At the time,

    Gardner: At the time, I honestly thought all these people were guilty. I did take offense at the way the dug raid was handled, because of the prejudicial statements made by the law officers, and by people being dragged in front of the camera in their underwear -- and some of the women were in their see-through nightgowns and pajamas. It was really disgraceful. There wouldn't be a white person in this community who was arrested and drug in front of the cameras like that. In fact, there was two white people that were arrested during the drug raid, but they were allowed to come in and bond out -- they weren't arrested that morning and dragged in front of the cameras. They seemed to have been treated different than the people of black skin, and the only reason I can ascertain is cause of their white skin -- because they were involved with the black community.

    Goodman: I think it's important to note, Gary Gardner, that you're not exactly known as one who is sympathetic to the Black community.

    Gardner: Well, that statement's not exactly right... I'm a person that sometimes uses language that went out 50 years ago. I don't know exactly how to put that.

    Goodman: Let's just say you were warned about using certain "N" words on the program. (chuckles)

    Gardner: (laughing) Heh, yes ma'am.
    Gary Gardner, a farmer who lives near Tulia, Texas and one of the few local whites to publicly criticize the drug sting operation which resulted in the arrest of over 10% of the town's Black population, talks to Democracy Now's Amy Goodman. I've been meaning to blog the Tulia case but failed on two occasions to gather any links besides my original source for the info (Democracy Now!)... so stop reading rW and check out grim amusements and caught in between for the rest of the story.

  • My point is simply that

    My point is simply that I doubt I’ll read kuro5hin for the same reason I hardly read slashdot these days – the homogenous readership of both sites is overwhelmingly ignorant of social issues and therefore, in my humble opinion, in the end any analysis they come up with of technology/culture news is so limited by a lack of any diversity of perspective as to be worthless. We can respectfully agree to disagree about which fast food chain has better french fries, but I will not respect any position which does not hold the liberation of those oppressed by shackles of greed to be priority number one.

  • Fuck kuro5hin. View source.

    Fuck kuro5hin. View source.

  • That was great listening this

    That was great listening this morning, nedlog, I’m glad you caught it. McChesney has his own site, from which I learned that he’s a Nader supporter and learned of an intriguing music newsletter which covers “culture and politics, funk and country, hiphop and heavy metal, racism and revolution, jazz and reggae, folk music and ska, censorship and the phony war on drugs”, Rock and Rap Confidential.

  • Sell by, use by, best

    Sell by, use by, best by, better by, best if used by, enjoy or freeze by, best before, guaranteed fresh until...
    But what does it all mean? Use It or Lose It, says the Washington Post.

  • If you publish online you

    If you publish online you should read Write the Web.

  • A beginner's guide to malt

    A beginner’s guide to malt liquor, mostly for Linus' amusement. thanks to babygrrl, who’s also down for the cause.

  • Morty the Death's Head

  • astro(b)logy is sorting weblogs according

    astro(b)logy is sorting weblogs according to their creators' sun signs. I’m personally more interested in the sign of the site. randomWalks is a Sagittarius – keywords: versatile, sincere, searching, broad-minded, outspoken, superficial, jumps between subjects, irresponsible, lucky. thanks, considered harmful.

  • You can shuffle a deck

    You can shuffle a deck of cards into oblivion in only 5 or 6 shuffles, but only if you are skilled with the riffle and split the deck into unequal portions. The average shuffler will require seven riffles, while the overhand shuffle is nearly ineffective in randomizing the order of a deck.

    bonus links
    the perfect shuffle
    becoming an invisible illuminatus: phase one, the poker phase – i’m not making this up
    poker variants
    bullshit + poker =
    7 card stud variations
    poker FAQ
    open directory: poker

  • As the okayplayer tour passes

    As the okayplayer tour passes through, the Washington Post peeks behind the scenes at okayplayer.com

  • Using CSS as a Diagnostic

    Using CSS as a Diagnostic Tool – brilliant stuff for HTML coders like me.

  • Two of Lynda Barry's One

    Two of Lynda Barry’s One Hundred Demons:

  • Did you know, it's a

    Did you know, it's a lot of white people in town that will mistreat you, and don't mean it. Did you know?

    Uh-uh ... "and don't mean it," ... why?

    Yeah. They have to do it -- to stay white.
    From an NPR Lost and Found Sound installment about Eddie McCoy, a self-made oral historian in Oxford, North Carolina.

  • Why Freegan - An Attack

    Why Freegan

    - An Attack on Consumption -
    - In Defense of Donuts -
    this shit is wild, and reminds me of the great Abbie Hoffman's Steal This Book.

  • We're having a party and

    We’re having a party and everybody’s invited.

    originally posted by mw

  • It's like you have peanut

    It's like you have peanut butter and jelly. I mean, we find that weird. Oh, we would never have peanut butter and jelly together. I would not do that to my taste buds.
    She just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich.
    More (mostly) from NPR's morning edition:

  • The Guy I Almost Was

    blooorsh!
    The Guy I Almost Was is a truly excellent panel-per-page online comic. I must insist you check it out. thanks, fuzzybelly.

  • Who let the dogs out?

    Who let the dogs out? (NPR audio)

  • Printable Punk Rock Girl Paper

    Printable Punk Rock Girl Paper Doll, from the Dead Milkmen site.

  • Steve Jobs' resume

    Steve Jobs' resume

  • I don't think OSX is

    I don't think OSX is Sgt. Pepper. More like the Phantom Menace (technically amazing and very pretty, but will it have a plot, or just suck?).
    Rob Malda of Slashdot weighs in on the cultural significance of Mac OS X.

  • I'm not a security risk.

    I'm not a security risk. I'm not being disruptive.
    Nader was surrounded by police and refused entrance to the debate hall at UMass-Boston tonight.

  • More NPR... (realaudio player required)

    More NPR… (realaudio player required)

  • For the month of October,

    For the month of October, you can do the New York Times Crossword Puzzle online for free. How lame is it that they charge for this in the first place?

  • craigslist serves the Washington DC

    craigslist serves the Washington DC area now with jobs, housing, classifieds, and community events mailing lists. Lets hope it somehow lives up to the legendary original San Francisco iteration.

    On an entirely different note, this skating/graffiti game is unlike anything seen before. I can’t wait to play it.

  • The next Coen Brothers film,

    The next Coen Brothers film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? looks like it will be pretty great – the cast is incredible featuring Holly Hunter, John Turturro, George Clooney, John Goodman, Michael Badalucco and I’m sure other great people whose names I don’t recognize.

  • Listen to Ralph Nader's speech

    Listen to Ralph Nader’s speech from Sunday’s super rally in Boston.

  • Howard Zinn Online -- I

    Howard Zinn Online – I still haven’t got around to reading A People’s History of the United States, which must be supplemented by Ronald Takaki’s Strangers From a Different Shore – get your copy from the Asian American Writers' Workshop – because Zinn inexcusably ignores the history of Asians in America as I understand it.

  • eleven commandments for digital photography

    eleven commandments for digital photography :
    I promise to be a good “digital humanist” and abide by the following eleven commandments as a photographer.

    1. No studios, real locations
    2. No professional models
    3. No zoom lens
    4. No props
    5. Use only on-camera flash and available light
    6. Always hand-held camera
    7. Only carry one camera even when working as a team
    8. When showing a collection, show an equal number of photos from each photographer on the team
    9. No cropping pictures
    10. Don't title your picture with words
    11. Break the preceding rules when your conscience says it's necessary
    the 1001 project
    Kieran Ridge/Hiromi Oda
    thanks, george.

  • allaboutgeorge -- good links about

    allaboutgeorge – good links about race and music.

  • NPR: Why does it matter

    NPR: Why does it matter how you raise these things that we're gonna kill almost immediately upon their maturity?
    George Huff: I think the answer is the same as for those of us who are human -- we're born to die; what's done in between is what's called life. That's where this kind of treatment of animals is beneath what we're capable of as humans, and I'm hopeful people will understand that and abandon that practice.
    Huff, a country lawyer, recently lost his family hog farm to an industrial operation. From NPR's Changing Face of America: Missouri Farms. Other recent NPR highlights include:

  • Listen to the new Paul

    Listen to the new Paul Simon album today in realaudio.

  • A bit of discussion about

    A bit of discussion about public radio over at Metafilter.

  • This article (complete with photos!)

    This article (complete with photos!) about hooking up a Samsung SCH-3500 mobile phone to a Palm device leaves me hot and bothered.

  • The wireless Web is like

    The wireless Web is like it was in the old days when we were tapping into bulletin boards with a 300- baud modem.
    NYTimes: The New Wireless Web

  • "If you look at this

    tourist tater and bamboozled
    "If you look at this potato head, the only thing missing is a watermelon," Moniz-John said.
    "If I saw it first, I would have said, 'We need to correct this,'" said Schumpert.
    "He's a potato. That's why he's brown," Szarko said.

    Mr. Potato Head Statue Said Racist

    bonus links
    The Story of Little Black Sambo
    the story behind "The Story of Little Black Sambo"?
    mammy: her life and times
    the blackface stereotype
    the liberation of aunt jemima
    aunt jemima, rastus, and uncle ben: the advertiser's holy trinity
    orientalism and asian americans
    the minstrel show
    the minstrel show's contribution to folk music
    blackface minstrelsy and mark twain
    talking to kids about racial stereotypes

    Bamboozled Movie Bamboozled Movie Tourist Tater Bamboozled Movie

  • Analyzing a Starbucks as a

    Analyzing a Starbucks as a stage for this violating drama is interesting-- you are using the theatrical elements of their designers. They wanted the implication of theater, but no real play, no real action. Starbucks exist in a de-politicized and de-narrated hush. In creating these over-heard dramas you are standing in the way of the Starbucks-controlled Muzak which anthologizes music from around the world but deletes all the political songs. Somehow you hear Bob Marley in your local Starbucks, but not his political songs, of course. Amazing.
    From the previously linked site-- great stuff!

  • The Garden Report -- beautifully

    The Garden Report – beautifully designed weblog of sorts. thanks, thirteen.

  • Enlightening interactive exercise: Find out

    Enlightening interactive exercise: Find out if you would survive as a poor, single mother.

    For some context, check out this article about an American University professor who assigns this exercise to his students: “we can all agree that poverty is bad; that’s not controversial. I want them to think hard about what specific policies would end child poverty, how much they would cost, and how to get a bill to pass.”

  • She taught her students that

    She taught her students that it was all right to judge one another based on eye color. But she did not teach them how to oppress. "They already knew how to be racist because every one of them knew without my telling them how to treat those who were on the bottom."
    In 1968, fourth-grade teacher Jane Elliott demonstrated that racism is learned behavior by dividing her class according to eye color, and assigning positive attributes to brown-eyed students and negative attributes to blue eyes. She observed the artificially disadvantaged children suffer drastic hits to self-esteem and academic performance, while the faux elite thrived. Thirty years later she is still involved in the Sisyphean task of unteaching racism to white people.

  • I'm a minority myself: a

    I'm a minority myself: a Jew. If the mascot was a Jew, that would be great. A . . . little old man with a yarmulke -- great.
    The Student Council at San Diego State University has voted to retire longtime athletic mascot Monty Montezuma whose routine involves entering the stadium through a tunnel in a cloud of smoke and waving a flaming spear. "The issue then goes to the University Senate, a group of faculty members, administrators and students." For more info on racist sports mascots, see this open directory project directory.

  • "Time to Vote! is a

    “Time to Vote! is a non-partisan organization with a simple mission: to persuade employers to give their employees either the morning or the afternoon off from work on election day, November 7th, 2000 so that they may participate in the electoral process.” Makes sense to me… I’ll certainly be out of the office for part of that Tuesday. If my employer gives me any trouble they’ll just have to find someone else to sling HTML for them.

  • sudama has posted 14 links

    sudama has posted 14 links and 157 comments to Metafilter.

  • Today's bubble: Impress your co-workers

    Today’s bubble: Impress your co-workers with a fine desktop from chickenhead.com.

  • My essay wan't an essay

    My essay wan't an essay at all. I took the first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence and replaced various Lifes, Liberties and Pursuits of Happinesses with Instant Replays, TrickPlays and Pursuits of TiVolution. And it still won.
    TiVo claims to be giving away 10 14-hr units a day in an essay contest -- which can't be true, considering that about 3 dozen Metafilter readers have won today (see above), myself included. The catch is that you have to give them your credit card info and pay at least $9.95 for one month of service -- not bad considering the 15GB hard drive alone has got to be worth more than ten bucks. I'm going to be spending some time with the Hacking the TiVo FAQ to see if I can't turn this thing into a 52 hour beast.

    If you're interested, the contest claims to judge essays on humor, creativity, and content (discussion of TiVo features) but lots of winning entries barely include the word TiVo at all. The real question is: how do they pick the losers?

  • Check out the photo gallery

    Check out the photo gallery accompanying this article about the one-year anniversary of the Ikonos satellite. “These images show the Great Pyramids of Egypt; California’s Hollywood sign; the Olympic Park venue in Sydney, Australia; Hoover Dam; London’s Millennium Wheel; San Francisco Harbor; Hong Kong Harbor; Mecca, Saudi Arabia; and a before and after of the bombing of Grozny, Chechnya. "

  • Lisp for the Mac

    Lisp for the Mac

  • truth in advertising @ nike.com

    truth in advertising @ nike.com – spread the URL fast, it’s not long for this world.

  • Astronomers are looking at the

    Astronomers are looking at the biggest sunspot in nine years, but what’s a lay-person to do? Slashdot posters recommend projecting the sun’s image onto cardboard through reversed binoculars, or just looking at the sun in the morning or evening when it doesn’t hurt so bad. By clicking anywhere on the screen you agree not to hold randomWalks responsible for stupid things you do that damage your eyes.

  • Whatever name it assumes, table

    Whatever name it assumes, table tennis has come a long way since its introduction as a genteel, after-dinner alternative to lawn tennis in 1870s England. Today, players compete for big money, wield high-tech rackets and volley the ball at speeds up to 160 kilometres per hour. Table tennis has become the world's largest participation sport, with 40 million competitive players worldwide and countless millions playing recreationally.

    The game, which debuted in the Olympic Games in 1988 at Seoul, began with cigar-box lids for rackets and a carved champagne cork for a ball. Today, players use specially developed rubber-coated wooden and carbon-fibre rackets and a lightweight, hollow celluloid ball. Various rubber compounds and glues are applied on the rackets to impart greater spin or speed.

    Indeed, some glues are banned from Olympic competition — they make the ball travel up to 30kmh faster.
    From the official Sydney 2000 Olympic Games table tennis site.

  • Do black residents of (wealthy)

    Do black residents of (wealthy) Scarsdale get abused by the police? No. When people have economic power in a community, they get their calls returned.
    I'm disappointed but not surprised by Nader's take on racial injustice. It's apparent that though his heart is in the right place, he just doesn't get it. Wealthy black residents of Scarsdale may wield economic power in their own community, but when they drive the New Jersey Turnpike or walk the streets of NYC or step into a shopping mall or do any of a zillion other everyday things, race trumps class and they become Black people first. Nobody asks about the size of your bank account before they peg you as a dark-skinned criminal. Many don't even look at your shoes. God forbid you should dress down in jeans or athletic gear. Ralph, racism is more than just a by-product of class division -- it's a tool white people use to perpetuate the class structure. thanks, considered harmful.

  • Adbusters: Is Democracy Working?

    same fucking difference
    Adbusters: Is Democracy Working?

  • How to create Aquafied design

    How to create Aquafied design elements – if you are looking for an easy “one button filter” or other quick methods to create this effect, this tutorial is not for you! also blogged to Xspot.

  • Reuters 09/22 6:34PM -- NBC,

    Reuters 09/22 6:34PM – NBC, which in August bid for the exclusive right to host a presidential debate, said on Friday it would broadcast a baseball game instead of the first showdown between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush. “We have a contract with major-league baseball. You don’t seriously think we have any interest in democracy, do you?,'' said NBC spokeswoman Barbara Levin. “If we were offerred more than the value of the baseball contract, we would be televising it.''

  • In two apparently unrelated incidents,

    In two apparently unrelated incidents, 100 monkeys stopped traffic in northern India after one was hurt in an accident, and 3 monkeys pelted cars with fruit on I-95 near the Virginia-North Carolina border. I don’t know about you, but I’m already scared. Now can you imagine living in a city that’s also home to thousands of wild monkeys?

  • The astonishing story of genetic

    The astonishing story of genetic research on humans, which took 10 years to uncover, is likely to shake the world of anthropology to its core.

  • Ghost in the Machine is

    Ghost in the Machine is pointing to a fun Star Wars Episode II spoiler, but don’t you dare blame me if you click through to it.

  • New Lynda Barry comic about

    New Lynda Barry comic about a tough acid trip.

  • "Going my way?" your vehicle

    "Going my way?" your vehicle will bleep in autospeak. "Indeed," responds the living room on wheels in the left lane. And the two will hitch up and rocket toward their common goal together. This technology will conserve fuel and may save lives, but the pleasure of driving as you know it will be gone. That's something you should know.
    What You'll Need to Know In 2020 That You Don't Know Now -- also Discover mag, also from kottke.

  • 20 Ways the World Could

    20 Ways the World Could End from the just-so kottke.org.

  • Sources close to the Nader

    Sources close to the Nader campaign say representatives of the progressive politician are talking to the Fox network about somehow including him in the first debate, scheduled for October 3, via simulcast. The candidate would sit before cameras, fielding the same questions the debate moderator puts to Bush and Gore. His answers then could be aired with clips of the debate.
    The Village Voice: Nation: Crazy Like a Fox

  • Seltzer said his office spent

    UWM cover photo

    Seltzer said his office spent the summer searching for cover photos that would illustrate greater diversity at UW, where minorities are 10 percent of the 40,000 students enrolled. When he could not find one, he approved adding Shabazz’s photo to the crowd scene.
    Black-White Issue Leaves University Red-Faced (washingtonpost.com) – Diallo Shabazz, whose picture was digitally added to a shot of white students cheering at a football game, is a “prominent African American student activist who has never attended a UW football game and is deeply involved in efforts to promote campus diversity."

  • People often ask my wife

    People often ask my wife and me whether we want a boy or a girl. We always say “either”, but we always mean “both.”

  • We've heard of intelligence and

    We’ve heard of intelligence and emotional intelligence, but what about spiritual intelligence? Gary Zukav is spiritually brilliant. He frequently appears on Oprah, from which I assume (accepting all implicit risks) that his audience consists largely of women. Which is too bad, because men have quite a lot to learn from this man as well, and it would do a world of good (being, unjustly, a man’s world) if every man did.

  • I can envisage somewhere about

    I can envisage somewhere about 2050, when the greenhouse really begins to bite, when people will start looking back and saying: whose fault was all this? And they will settle on the Greens and say: 'if those damn people hadn't stopped us building nuclear power stations we wouldn't be in this mess'.
    James Lovelock (Gaia hypothesis) shares some provocative thoughts with The Guardian.

  • Following the correct technique is

    Following the correct technique is important, Gerberding said. If you’re in a public restroom with a towel dispenser, first pull down the paper so you have a clean sheet waiting with which to dry off. Then run the hot water and vigorously scrub for at least 15 seconds, making sure to ‘get all the nooks and crannies’ — that is the folds of your hands as well as cuticles and fingernails that can trap dirt and germs. If the wash basin has a foot pedal, be sure to use it, she added. A simple trick, she said, is to say the alphabet to yourself while washing — by the time you reach the letter ‘Z,’ your 15 seconds will have elapsed. Health-care professionals should wash for 30 seconds. If the washroom has an electric hand-dryer rather than a paper dispenser, use your elbow to turn it on, Gerberding added. Good old-fashioned soap will remove all the debris, she said, expressing concern that the newer antibacterial products on the market can give people a false sense of security — an extra cost for little gain. ‘The goal is to physically remove germs, not kill them,’ she said, ‘so unless hot water is not available, chemical products are not necessary.’
    Visitors must wash hands for 30 seconds after reading randomWalks.

  • "GFP Bunny" gives continuation to

    "GFP Bunny" gives continuation to my focus on the creation, in art, of what Martin Buber called dialogical relationship, what Mikhail Bakhtin called dialogic sphere of existence, what Emile Benveniste called intersubjectivity, and what Humberto Maturana calls consensual domains: shared spheres of perception, cognition, and agency in which two or more sentient beings (human or otherwise) can negotiate their experience dialogically. The work is also informed by Emmanuel Levinas' philosophy of alterity, which states that our proximity to the other demands a response, and that the interpersonal contact with others is the unique relation of ethical responsibility. I create my works to accept and incorporate the reactions and decisions made by the participants, be they eukaryotes or prokaryotes. This is what I call the human-plant-bird-mammal-robot-insect-bacteria interface.
    Eduardo Kac's GFP Bunny site

  • NPR highlights from recent weeks

    NPR highlights from recent weeks (audio; requires RealPlayer):

  • The Simpson clan lives in

    The Simpson clan lives in two parallel francophone universes. Where American Homer visits the Kwik-E-Mart, French Homère goes to the supermarché and Quebec Homère shops at the dépanneur du coin. Where American Homer describes his shrewish sisters-in-law as the "gruesome twosome," French Homère labels them les sorcières Siamoises (the Siamese witches), in Quebec, they're called deux airs de boeuf (the two grouches). In France, the only two Simpsons characters who were not assigned standard French accents are both dark-skinned: Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the immigrant Kwik-E-Mart clerk, and Homer's black co-worker, Carl. Though Apu hails, according to plot, from India, he has been given a quasi-Arabic accent by the French. "A lot of corner shops are owned by people from North Africa or Lebanon. There is even a slur in French, 'On va chez l'Arabe,' meaning, 'We're going to the corner shop.'" As for Carl, his voice has been pidginized - though not in any easily identifiable way. The darker-hued pair gets special treatment in Quebec as well, but there, Apu's accent sounds more like Haitian Creole spoken à la Québécoise. And Carl's voice, hardly what one might call ebonical in the English original, becomes "the Québécois stereotype of the black immigrant 'nèg.'"
    Caste of Characters by Jonathan Kay.

  • War, divorce, and global warming...

    War, divorce, and global warming… possible Clinton moves in October?

  • Behind the Candy-Coated Shell, Mac

    Behind the Candy-Coated Shell, Mac OS X Provides All the Power of Unix with Very Few Compromises

  • What's up with the backlash

    What’s up with the backlash against Oprah’s book club (Sep 13 and Sep 14)? Has she ever recommended a bad book? Maybe she has; I certainly haven’t read them all – but as far as I’m concerned, anything that gets people reading is a Good Thing, and to get millions of people reading this language’s greatest living novelist is certainly beyond reproach.

  • All of the people who

    All of the people who are so paranoid about their information being collected by the supermarkets should consider this idea which I just came up with. If a website was set up where you could select your supermarket, and then send in the bonus card that you signed up for and received, and in return receive another bonus card for the same chain from some other random person around the country, that would throw off their tracking quite a bit.
    Donkeymon offered this up on metafilter but it's too good an idea to leave there. Unfortunately, it's never gonna happen -- but what could happen is I could go to the grocery store and try to trade cards with random shoppers while picking over peppers, considering cereal, ferreting out frozen foods, or lingering in line. Even better would be to get a few friends to each sign up for a handful of bogus cards at a few different stores several weekends in a row, and then hit the parking lots passing out Anonymous Shopper cards, proclaiming "You own your history, habits, choices and tastes! Subvert the economy that profits off of your private life!" Can you believe that Whole Foods Market has the gall to call them "loyalty cards"?

  • The most creative piece of

    The most creative piece of mail I received in response to the essay also was the most confused. In a padded envelope from Clement, Minn., came a brand-new can of Kiwi Shoe Polish, black. Because there was no note or letter, I have to guess at my correspondent's message, but I assume the person was suggesting that if I felt so bad about being white, I might want to make myself black. But, of course, I don't feel bad about being white. The only motivation I might have to want to be black -- to be something I am not -- would be pathological guilt over my privilege. In these matters, guilt is a coward's way out, an attempt to avoid the moral and political questions. As I made clear in the original essay, there is no way to give up the privilege; the society we live in confers it upon us, no matter what we want. So, I don't feel guilty about being white in a white supremacist society, but I feel an especially strong moral obligation to engage in collective political activity to try to change the society because I benefit from the injustice.
    Adding Robert Jensen's two essays, White Privilege Shapes the U.S. and Why the System of White Privilege Is Wrong, to Peggy McIntosh's Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack brings the count of accessible literature about white privilege to ... 3. If you're white and haven't yet commited yourself to ending racial injustice, read these essays and then ask yourself why not? thanks to BoyCaught for the link to an About.com article on white privilege.

  • If he didn't work in

    If he didn't work in comicbooks, Chris Ware would be famous by now. And he may yet be — after being selected for the Smithsonian's design triennial, and having his work published in the New Yorker, his first general-trade book, "Jimmy Corrigan: Smartest Kid on Earth," (Pantheon, $27.50) will appear in September.

    "This is like welcoming James Joyce into the ranks of novel writers," says Art Spiegelman, another New Yorker artist and the author of "Maus." "This new book seems to be another milestone in the demonstration of what [comics] can be."
    From the intro to Time Magazine's interview with Chris Ware. Time also has a short article about the Jimmy Corrigan story. Buy Chris Ware comics from Fantagraphics or from your local independent comic store (try Big Planet Comics if you live in the DC Metro area.) xblog rocks.

  • "s o u l t

    soulchair icon"s o u l t o o l s is a set of icons for your macos or windows computer. What perhaps makes this set a little bit different from the others is that they are only in black and white. Oldschool flavour, a bit sentimental but hopefully still with a fresh look." F-R-E-S-H! thanks, xblog.

  • Mac OS X early adopters

    Mac OS X early adopters will want to read MacWorld’s Beta Survival Guide and to keep an eye on MacFixIt’s regularly updated Troubleshooting Mac OS X report. Those who like to get their hands dirty might want to read MacAddict’s guide to restoring developer tools to OS X public beta. Unfortunately, until ars technica weighs in, the closest thing we’ve got to an overview of the OS is MacWorld’s OS X: The Full Story.

  • behind the curtain will be

    behind the curtain will be a collection of image galleries capturing 24 hours in the lives of a bunch of webloggers (five dozen have signed up so far). I don’t so much buy the idea that there’s anything inherently interesting about webloggers, but I do think photography is interesting – I’m participating mostly as an excuse to take some pictures.

  • BIGWORDS.com - I think they're

    BIGWORDS.com - I think they’re selling something, but just go read their online comic “Bee”. It’s good stuff.

  • It won't hurt It

    It
won't hurt
It
won't hurt
It
won't hurt
It
won't hurt
ALL
DONE

  • Until recently, I'd never been

    coleus close upUntil recently, I’d never been able to keep a plant alive. When my wife and I moved in to our apartment this summer we picked a couple of plants from a nursery and decided to have a go. Though my dream (Every Room A Garden) is still far from reality, one of the plants we chose, a Coleus, turns out to be so easy not only to grow but to clone that we’ve got 4 baby plants potted and 3 clippings rooting in tap water, waiting for a home. Anyway, the twist: Coleus turns out to be psychoactive.

  • How to Use an 18%

    How to Use an 18% Gray Card for better photography.

  • Recently, the McKinsey corporation said:

    Recently, the McKinsey corporation said: "American food giants recognise that Indian agro-business has lots of room to grow, especially in food processing. India processes a minuscule 1 per cent of the food it grows compared with 70 per cent for the U.S...".

    It is not that we Indians eat our food raw. Global consultants fail to see the 99 per cent food processing done by women at household level, or by the small cottage industry because it is not controlled by global agribusiness.
    Vandana Shiva lectures on globalization and poverty.

  • S11 primary sources: S11 organizing

    S11 primary sources:
    S11 organizing site
    World Economic Forum
    S11 photos from indymedia
    “If you care about people, you don’t hit ‘em with your batons,” says an S11 protestor to police in this realvideo clip.
    Great audio on this realvideo clip – “Nonviolence!"

    S11 secondary sources:
    protestors win first round

  • If you loved The Matrix,

    If you loved The Matrix, you’ll hate Matrix Wazzup and Matrix Farting (c’mon, you know you want to click it.)

  • "Here's a video of a

    “Here’s a video of a Ferrari test driver blowing the engine on a $275,000.00 car.” It’s at the very end. Yikes!

  • I’m actually looking forward to

    I’m actually looking forward to being liberated by childbirth. While my fellow expectant mothers anticipate losing mobility and independence, I can’t wait to be off bed rest and carry my baby and his hundreds of accoutrements through the house and out into the world. I’ll be free!
    Sidelines is a network of support groups across the country for women and their families experiencing complicated pregnancies. It has lots of information on bedrest, including this article about a silver lining.

  • How I wish I'd had

    How I wish I’d had a digital camera in nyc.

  • The "Big Brother" houseguests are

    The “Big Brother” houseguests are walking out together on Wednesday’s live episode – a decision reached by consensus Saturday morning. At this moment, the guests are announcing their individual intentions to “voluntarily exit” to the CBS crew as we watch chickens peck the ground outside. Salon shares the details of the real “Big Brother” story.

  • Of course, if "you don't

    Of course, if “you don’t find CD cover art essential to owning an album,” consider subverting the corporate economy with a real buycott that bypasses the RIAA and supports the actual artists.

  • Whatever happened to album art

    Stevie Wonder's Music of My Mind album coverWhatever happened to album art (which has to be seen at 12"x12" to be appreciated properly)? Do hip hop records use the space well? What’s the best art ever included in a CD jewel case?

  • $129 for an I-Jam walkman

    $129 for an I-Jam walkman that lets me listen to mp3s on a CD-R I burn at home(of which I already have six) or a player that accepts CompactFlash cards (which I already use in my digital camera)! These are two tempting machines. Whenever I discover my lifestyle doesn’t have room for wearing headphones and a portable, I know it’s time to reevaluate. My minidisc has served me well, but unfortunately transfering mp3s onto the discs is an analog process. I love it, but I doubt I’ll make that mistake again.

  • 9:00 Bored Diner NewsRead by

    9:00 Bored Diner News
    Read by a man idly picking wax from a restaurant table candle while his fiancee stares at her napkin.
    I recently stumbled across TV Go Home -- source of the above listing -- and wanted to share it with you. Yes, you, and you alone. Everybody else thinks I'm talking to them but I'm not. I'm talking to you.

  • This annotated guide to Dennis

    This annotated guide to Dennis Miller’s cultural and historical references just might be enough to get me watching football.

  • l??????????l l??????l l????l l????????lKodama &

    l??????????l l??????l l????l l????????l
    Kodama & Hana

  • One day I hope to

    One day I hope to learn how to drive.

  • New Lynda Barry comic at

    New Lynda Barry comic at Salon: cicadas and suicide.

  • Salty, boiled soybeans-in-the-pod were a

    Salty, boiled soybeans-in-the-pod were a regular treat when I lived in New York, but I haven’t had much luck finding them here in Virginia. Now, thanks to the Post, I know how to grow my own edamame. Now if only I had some land… and it were Spring.
    Also read about Thai basil, ugly tomatoes, and the July 4th Southeast Asian marketplace and festival at Wat Lao Buddhavong Sala, a nearby Lao Buddhist temple, all from the Post’s Gourmet Gardener.

  • How to close your Amazon.com

    How to close your Amazon.com account.
    Why to close your Amazon.com account:

  • This is how I think

    This is how I think about the way in which space seems to appear out of nothingness.

  • Does anyone still eat Loma

    Does anyone still eat Loma Linda canned vegetarian products? Check out the remarkably unappetizing serving suggestion on the bean and peanut Sandwich Spread label. I’m pretty sure I ate their veggie hot dogs when I was young. Much tastier than today’s Tofu Pups or Smart Dogs, these faux franks were full of flavor and came in a can. Our supermarket has a little zone devoted to this stuff at the back of one aisle, but I don’t think those cans have been touched in ages – the labels have got that “years and years of direct fluorescent light” look, and the one can I grabbed was covered in dust.

  • "What's related?" asks Netscape. "Similar

    “What’s related?” asks Netscape.
    “Similar pages,” says Google.

  • [Ahem] As society is little

    [Ahem] As society is little more than a consensus about the relative importance of common myths, the absence of new stories makes for a monotonous and confining culture. So those people who have the hardest time writing -- because their experiences are undervalued and their self-confidence often low -- consequently have the most new material to add to the Tapestry O' Tales. Writing a book is a political act, and because it's entertainment, it's a subversive one. If it's successful, the potential to cause individual change is several magnitudes higher than selling Socialist Worker on the streetcorner. Ed Abbey's The Monkeywrench Gang spawned Earth First!, so don't underestimate the power of a good story to imagine itself into reality.
    The No Media Kings website is a step-by-step guide to DIY book publishing -- great stuff!

  • A modest proposal in the

    A modest proposal in the Washington Post: We Need Less Labor, More Days. A slightly less modest proposal: FUCK WORK. And if you’ve never read it, today’s the day to read The Abolition of Work by Bob Black.

  • Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide

    Tyler Cowen’s Ethnic Dining Guide – long list of ethnic restaurants in the Northern Virginia area. Cowen’s got a great thing going, but he would do better to keep his ethnocentric attitude out of his reviews.

  • Blog of Holding is a

    Blog of Holding is a Dungeons and Dragons weblog by the author of Considered Harmful.

  • Stuff to listen to --

    Stuff to listen to –

    Sources: NPR's All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Talk of the Nation

  • Recent Robot Wisdom highlights: a

    Recent Robot Wisdom highlights: a possible cause of Gulf War Syndrome, and the food of the future.

  • We ought to be able

    We ought to be able to learn a lot about the globalization of power by keeping an eye on the upcoming s11 protests in Melbourne, Australia. Sites to watch for early updates include indymedia melbourne and Green Left Weekly’s s11 site.

  • Time spent with my wife

    Time spent with my wife is time well spent. My wife lives in an invisible city, sleeps on Einstein’s pillow. I met my wife while reading subterranean notes. My wife wraps me in language I listen for in dreams. I love my wife most when she makes me laugh.

  • Sears presents... the school uniform

    Sears presents… the school uniform superstore.

  • Tip for Mac-based mp3ers: SoundJam

    Tip for Mac-based mp3ers: SoundJam is nice for listening to streaming audio (i.e. f188 or squidradio), but SoundApp is extremely stable for those .mp3s on your hard disk (doesn’t even skip) – not to mention that it’s free as in beer.

  • You cannot simultaneously prevent and

    You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war. – Albert Einstein

    Our approach is both pro-peace and anti-drug – William Jefferson Clinton

    WAR IS PEACE – George Orwell

    In the US, for over 20 years, to be against drugs is to be for the War on Drugs … That so many in the US do not immediately object to this flagrant display of Newspeak is a disgrace. – Bijan Parsia

  • Why am I composing this

    Why am I composing this post on my Palm using the AvantGo Client for Blogger? Because I can, silly. Hmm, a few bugs (and typos) but this is dangerous – it could drive me to finally buy a portable keyboard and wireless connection.

  • The web could use more

    The web could use more weblogs like Subterranean Notes, which seeks out great art on the web so I don’t have to.

  • ''Along with television, entire areas

    ''Along with television, entire areas of the reality we inhabit disappeared,'' wrote Avtandil Tsuladze, a newspaper columnist. ''There are no more politicians with their loud promises, no streams of compromising materials, no analytical programs, even the president himself has disappeared.''

    ''The first day was hard, but then I realized, this will undoubtedly raise the birth rate,'' said Vadim Byrkin, who works in Moscow. ''Someone should do a study in nine months, to see how many children were conceived in this week. My own activity has increased drastically.''
    The Boston Globe looks at life in Moscow without TV.

  • Coming soon to a computer

    Coming soon to a computer interface near you: gesture recognition – “from simple pointing and grasping to the complex motions used to conduct an orchestra.”

  • Become a Certified Original Human

    Become a Certified Original Human – copyright your DNA.

  • One, two, three, four... I

    One, two, three, four… I declare Thumb Wars? via footprints, which along with the parody site below is an organique production.

  • I just love ad parodies...

    Baby Gasp: next week I'll outgrow thisI just love ad parodies… can’t get enough. Found this link on the Adbusters Buy Nothing Day pages. I think this year I’ll have to find a way to engage some unsuspecting would-be consumers in the November 24 celebration.

  • The Japanese island of Miyakejima

    a thick ash layer of volcanic ash covers this carThe Japanese island of Miyakejima is being evacuated today after a series of volcanic eruptions sent steam, ash, and small rocks several miles into the air.

  • In today's Post: a story

    In today’s Post: a story about the student initiative to bring an Asian American studies program to the University of Maryland.

  • This was my first look

    This was my first look at Photoshop 6.

  • If you don't want to

    If you don’t want to register with NYTimes.com try editing the URL to read “channel.nytimes.com/…” which should work for a while. Alternately, you can login with the username/password combo ‘cypherpunk/cypherpunk’. Update: try ‘cipherpunk/cipherpunk’.

  • Highlights of recent All Things

    Highlights of recent All Things Considered and Morning Edition shows:

  • I've been to a place

    I’ve been to a place where Flash is a beautiful thing.

  • Harrison, 58 - who worked

    Harrison, 58 - who worked as a carpenter before finding fame - rushed back into the Los Angeles bank and grabbed the broom.

  • It's a word, it's a

    It’s a word, it’s a plan, it’s … Letterman!

  • You could have filmed ''Survivor''

    You could have filmed ''Survivor'' for 400 years if it had been African-Americans, from slave ships to plantations to lynchings to shootings in housing projects to police brutality. Forget about promoting products. How about exclusive CBS footage of black folks being shafted for promotions?

    Latinos must be scratching their heads, too. How come the cameras at the border were not from CBS but from the INS? Haitians did not get a million dollars trying to flee to Florida from a military coup. They got the baking heat of asphalt at Guantanamo Bay. And do not forget the Golden Venture, the decrepit ship that in 1993 spit 286 emaciated Chinese immigrants out into rough waters off Queens after 100 squalid days at sea. Ten immigrants died trying to swim to shore. The United States detained many of them for more than three years and sent 170 of them back to China. None of them ''Got Milk.''
    Derrick Z. Jackson declares Survivor "A Sham Of A Show".

  • The [music] industry will take

    The [music] industry will take whatever steps it needs to protect itself and protect its revenue streams. It will not lose that revenue stream, no matter what. Sony is going to take aggressive steps to stop this. We will develop technology that transcends the individual user. We will firewall Napster at source -- we will block it at your cable company, we will block it at your phone company, we will block it at your [Internet-service provider]. We will firewall it at your PC.
    This Sony VP is not kidding, but it gets worse; can you say tip of the iceberg? I knew you could.

  • A full-scale reproduction of a

    A full-scale reproduction of a slave ship docked at the adjacent Washington Channel will have a walkway at its cross-section to give visitors a vivid sense of the captivity and journey of African slaves during the "Middle Passage." Lifelike figures will occupy the hull of the ship to illustrate the horrid and cramped quarters of the vessel.
    Michael Marshall Architecture proposes a new museum in Washington DC: The Frederick Douglass Center for African-American History and Culture.

  • A great Eddie Breen piece

    A great Eddie Breen piece on eBay: In aqua-hell, Flame Bass is eaten over and over.

  • Let's be clear about this..

    Let’s be clear about this..
    Legal: http://24.15.107.67/DeCSS/DeCSS/
    Illegal: http://24.15.107.67/DeCSS/DeCSS/
    Everybody see the difference? Good. I’m not sure about the following links; best to assume they’re illegal too. Kids, don’t click this at home:
    search for DeCSS at Disney’s search engine
    DeCSS (descramble) – mp3 of the code put to music [must listen]

    If you don’t know what I’m talking about, listen to 2600’s Emmanuel Goldstein discuss the recent ruling in the MPAA’s lawsuit against his site on yesterday’s Democracy NOW!

  • I've never been that impressed

    I’ve never been that impressed with super glue, but I’m gonna have to try this trick to keep my Palm stylus from slipping out all the time.

  • Pop vs. Soda in the

    Pop vs. Soda in the middle-west?

  • Well, I didn't make the

    Well, I didn’t make the best of the Monkeyfist Daily Churn, but I wasn’t really trying.

  • The clouds are alive.

    The clouds are alive.

  • I'm looking for some HTML

    I’m looking for some HTML and CSS references to keep handy on my Palm.
    memoware CSS search
    CSS doc reference file from memoware
    memoware HTML search

  • Nintendo unveiled their next gaming

    Nintendo unveiled their next gaming console today – GameCube. “The company also showed several game demos for the system including Pokemon, Wave Race, Metroid, Zelda and Star Wars”!

  • Read an interview with Scott

    Read an interview with Scott McCloud at Feed. thanks, girlhacker.

  • At the top of my

    At the top of my wishlist: TV SETS: Fantasy Blueprints of Classic TV Homes by Mark Bennett.

  • Ralph Nader and Dr. Drew

    Ralph Nader and Dr. Drew were on Politically Incorrect Monday night. You can read the transcript here today. In a few days, it should be available at http://abc.go.com/pi/transcripts/transcript_20000821.html.

  • Have you geeks seen surfraw

    Have you geeks seen surfraw yet? Definitely a fun toy.

  • You should follow that 'stop

    You should follow that ‘stop bubbling’ link, by the way. Our friend dj didn’t do it justice with his lack of introduction… it’s possibly even cooler than the wooden mirror I linked a while back.

  • Naked women are a very

    Naked women are a very much liked and classic sujet in many ad-campaigns. Using the same simple means we are trying for general irritation. These women though are doing it free will, for no money at all, using here feminine self confidence. So it could not fall into any sexist, mysoginist field. Nakedness could be seen as very old revolutionary tradition (Delacroix's "freedom" leads the people up to the Hippierevolution of 68), it's an elementary form of protest. Our work had to happen very spontaneously and quickly. It's aim was to point at the once more crucial state of Austria's politics. We want to let everyone know with our breasts and faces, that discrimination of any kind is very much part of Austria's everday life. We wanted to show our faces, we didn't want it to be an anonymous action. We don't need to hide,we are saying no to the momentary situation with all the confidence there is.
    tits against racism!

  • Bubbling this link to the

    Bubbling this link to the top: Retrogression Magazine: A journal of music and revolution because the site is active again after a couple months of dormancy.

  • I picked up a Fantastic

    I picked up a Fantastic Four the other day and was shocked! Either Sue is still breast feeding Franklin or Reed has found some interesting new uses for unstable molecules. Either way, it's not the role model I want for my little girl.
    John Sokol worries in a column for Sequential Tart that the comics he loves are no good for his daughter's self-image. For an idea of what he's talking about, check out ST's Bizzare Breasts.

  • I've been playing with these

    I’ve been playing with these pictures of Don pointing at himself and yawning for about 30 minutes.

  • We are tired of seeing

    We are tired of seeing blonde blue-eyed women used to sell make-up to black women, of a 14-year-old girl selling anti-aging cream that a 60-year-old woman will buy.
    Isabella Rossellini is launching her own line of cosmetics called Manifesto. BoyCaught stole the quote from net.Headlines, so I figured he wouldn't mind too much if I stole it from him.

  • Friday's Democracy NOW! featured a

    Friday’s Democracy NOW! featured a town-hall-type discussion titled The Resistance: Where Do We Go From Here? Guests included Michael Franti, Medea Benjamin, John Sellers and Jello Biafra.

  • I don't want to be

    I don't want to be part of a show that calls women "bitches" and makes fun of Cassandra not having sex in a year.
    Big Brother housemate Brittany almost walked out with the seven other cast members, but you'd never know it if you just watched the show. I bet if they could see the show as it is broadcast they'd be long gone. Salon's Martha Soukup watches the 24/7 webcast so you don't have to.

  • There's some great stuff going

    There’s some great stuff going on at fury.com – AOLiza interfaces the classic Eliza AI-ish psychotherapist program with unsuspecting AIMers; Project Cameo is a great meme that’s begun to spread, though I can’t find any content yet.

  • Gotta love the design of

    Gotta love the design of this interview … I only wish the ’d' key worked.

  • New at TCBY: Kool-Aid ice

    New at TCBY: Kool-Aid ice cream!

  • Screenshots is a unique and

    simElianScreenshots is a unique and fascinating project – “a series of drawings from an isometric perspective, in the style of a computer game”. Other projects by the creator of Screenshots include historical and pornographic images digitally edited to remove the figures. Saturday’s Lake Effect provides some commentary and context for this challenging work.

  • It's often said there is

    It's often said there is an intergenerational responsibility for slavery, for brutality, and people in this generation say, Well, I didn't have anything to do with that. And what's that got to do with me? Well, you know what? Corporations have been around for a long time. They've got perpetual life. And they operated and benefited from the repression of innocent people in this country, and they should be required to pay.
    From Ralph Nader's speech to the NAACP's 91st annual convention.

  • Check out the best analysis

    Check out the best analysis of the Democrats and of the left I’ve read this political season.

  • Bubbling this link to the

    Bubbling this link to the top: a r b l o g - p o l y m a t h - g r e e n - s m o k e - t e c h n o l o g y because I want to keep an eye on it.

  • la.indymedia highlights: realaudio of hip

    la.indymedia highlights:
    realaudio of hip hop panel at shadow convention
    when animals attack: unprovoked police charge civilians in a subway station
    more protests at the Boston presidential debate Oct 3?
    Why? - IMC’s Protest E-zine

  • If you've let yourself be

    If you’ve let yourself be disinformed about the d2kla protests by the corporate media, then it’s your responsibility to educate yourself about the issues raised by the protestors and to keep up on the news as reported by independent journalists as well. A good start would be to find out exactly what a black bloc really is.

  • A mad depressing metafilter thread

    USS ArizonaA mad depressing metafilter thread on the Kursk accident discusses the sinking of the USS Arizona (pictured) at Pearl Harbor.

  • After I irresponsibly set it

    After I irresponsibly set it off at MetaFilter, johnb of The Green Boffin stepped in to drop some knowledge – don’t miss the analysis and insight in his posts.

  • In the future, displays will

    In the future, displays will be wadded up and thrown away. thanks, dad.

  • Is this what democracy looks

    Riot Gear-Clad Police Guard the Staples Center in LA
    Is this what democracy looks like?

  • "The Robyn Van En Center

    “The Robyn Van En Center offers assistance to the enlarging community supported agriculture movement.” Find and join a local CSA project for fresh farm produce, yum!

  • The official police explanation for

    The official police explanation for shutting down the concert is that the crowd had become unruly, with youths throwing rocks over the fence at the police and starting fires. In truth, the police were looking for a pretext -- any pretext — to shut down the gathering, fire some ammo, and clear a path for departing Democratic delegates. At 9th and Figueroa my group decides to take advantage of this opportunity to ‘dialogue’ (Democrats like that word) with the delegates as they make their way away. I wish one cluster an expiditious journey back to Beverly Hills and I get a look that says, How did you know where we’re going? My friend Sara asks them how they feel about living in a democratic police state. Calling them corporate liberals — and ineffectual to boot — is also surprisingly satisfying. Since Democrats fashion themselves to the left of something, they are disarmed by such taunts.

    Meanwhile my friend Dean and I formulate a theory that Richard Nixon — the bane of all middle-aged Democrats — was, on many important issues, to the left of Clinton and Gore. That’ll get their hackles up, we think. We try our new pet theory out on the delegates, but none launches into a defense of their men. All we get is nervous laughter. Finally we get a response from a 50ish looking man wearing a Gore button who ponders the question and responds, ‘You’re probably correct,’ and moves on up the street. We do have one lengthy, honest-to-God conversation with a woman delegate, and a crowd forms to listen to the debate.

    Finally, though, we tire of dialoguing and start heading away. As we walk along Figueroa the sounds of sirens and cop helicopters are a constant. We stop at 7th to rest and discuss the evening’s events, only to have three police immediately tell us to move along. We comply and walk to 5th where it seems safe to relax. We lament our sore bodies and decide a bit of yoga is in order and convene a small circle and commence our exercise. What could be more benign? But no! Within minutes four cop cars speed up, lights ablaze, and eight police demand that we desist from our criminal enterprise. Just another case of yoga interuptus on the streets of L.A. Time to call it a night.
    NewsForChange (good d2kla protest coverage) diarist Aaron Hackett participated in the Critical Mass ride yesterday and escaped arrest. I look forward to reading his protest journal as the week continues. thanks, considered harmful.

  • la.indymedia.org is working now; sacco.indymedia.org

    la.indymedia.org is working now; sacco.indymedia.org appears to be a mirror but I suggest you use the la. address again.

  • The man closest to the

    The man closest to the watertight door closes it, to isolate you from the flooding. . . . After that, you just lie quietly. No unnecessary conversation or movement
    Today's Post explores the various nightmare scenarios facing any survivors on the sunken Russian sub.

  • It's a banner year for

    It’s a banner year for mycology. Read about the joy of shrooming in the Washington Post and hear about it on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered.

  • Approximately 60 people were arrested

    Approximately 60 people were arrested for riding bikes in LA yesterday. Bail for the arrestees has been set at $20,000. Update: From the IMC breaking news page: “9:49pm PST - Police will start releasing the jailed Critical Mass bicyclists at midnight if they post bail of $2500. Citizens may be released without posting bail if they sign a legal form saying that they ‘will not bicycle again’ in Los Angeles!!!”

  • A Village Voice report on

    A Village Voice report on the IMC bomb scare offers details that suggest the timing of the police action was intended to prevent the IMC from conducting a scheduled broadcast during Clinton’s address last night.

    The IMC has a write-up of a protest solidarity rally in Asheville, NC (one of the most beautiful towns in the country). The article also hints at demonstrations during the October Presidential Debates in nearby Winston-Salem. I’ll have to look into that.

  • An IMC reporter has posted

    An IMC reporter has posted an update on the IMC bomb scare.

  • I'll read Kendall Clark on

    I’ll read Kendall Clark on the criminalization of dissent this evening when I have some time.

  • After being threatened by police

    After being threatened by police under pretense of a bomb scare, the LA indymedia center is back in action. The Web site (formerly la.indymedia.org) can now be accessed at sacco.indymedia.org – not sure if this is related to the attempted raid last night.
    shot in the face by rubber bullet
    LA Times article on last night’s police violence
    la imc breaking news
    begging for mercy from riot gear cops
    raising hell at the DNC – alternet.org full coverage

  • This video of a plane

    This video of a plane getting struck by lightning is cool.

  • Today's indymedia LA highlights: five-minute

    Today’s indymedia LA highlights: five-minute roundup of the day’s news (mp3), report from hotel workers' rally in Santa Monica, students at Mumia rally are symbolically silenced.

  • Washington Post Style Invitational readers

    Washington Post Style Invitational readers update Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” for the 90s (current contest is at top; scroll down a bit).

  • You know those 17,000 year

    You know those 17,000 year old cave paintings in France that have spawned all kinds of speculation about the culture of the artists? A German researcher has found patterns in the paintings that suggest it’s a map of the sky. Perhaps it’s astronomy that’s the worlds oldest profession. While you’re pondering the past, consider this prehistoric map of the moon carved into a tomb wall 5,000 years ago.

  • Corporate Crackdown is Adbusters' cover

    Corporate Crackdown is Adbusters' cover article this month. The story exposes the development of these legal fictions that are becoming more powerful than nations and suggests ways to bring them back under civil control.

  • Independent coverage of the Democratic

    Independent coverage of the Democratic Convention protests will be provided by the Los Angeles Independent Media Center.

  • This makes me quite sad,

    This makes me quite sad, and I have to admit it’s brilliant.

  • This link: (Bonobo Sex and

    This link: (Bonobo Sex and Society) is for a friend of mine who has probably never read randomWalks. I found it at an interesting Metafilter thread on the upcoming Planet of the Apes movie.

  • Poignant new One Hundred Demons

    Poignant new One Hundred Demons cartoon by Lynda Barry at Salon.com.

  • _____ / --- 

    _____
/ --- \
||. .||   GOOD THING I WAS WEARING MY HAIR!
| o |   /
| V |
---
/|\
|     ____
/ \   |____|
__________________________________________________

    The Adventures of the Boy with Immovable Hair makes me laugh.

  • Cultural Prosthetics: brief essays on

    Cultural Prosthetics: brief essays on the loss and re-creation of culture. Good stuff. thanks, caught in between.

  • K through 5th graders in

    K through 5th graders in LA are being taught to lock themselves inside their school in case the police start rioting next week like they did in Seattle.

  • How to pirate music and

    How to pirate music and video without a computer! Fascinating… has anyone tried this?

  • The rotten truth is that,

    The rotten truth is that, except in the elaborate fantasies of show biz, we are all lonely gropers, wretched novices, tyro emoters, and with nobody writing our lines, our dialogue is stupid, pointless and unfunny.
    Stephen Hunter reviews "Wonderland" for the Washington Post.

  • Dungeons & Dragons is about

    Dungeons & Dragons is about to be updated with a new set of rules. Third Edition (3E) is already the source of much controversy, with fans either dreading or drooling over its release. One thing’s for sure, the movie looks like it’s going to kick ass.
    free D&D fast play game
    Ring of Thieves free solo adventure (not D&D)

  • Word Perhect is wonderful Flash.

    Word Perhect is wonderful Flash. Barneys New York is good Flash, but Word Perhect is wonderful. (get Flash)

  • The full text of Abbie

    The full text of Abbie Hoffman’s Steal This Book is online. I had a copy, but it was stolen. Actually, I had stolen it myself from a friend’s mom some years before. I found out who stole it from me and asked for it back, but…

  • Kendall of the monkeyfist collective

    Kendall of the monkeyfist collective examines his responsibility as a white man engaged in political action to attract negative attention away from women and people of color and to direct positive attention away from himself in this insightful commentary that I think he should submit to The New Abolitionist or expand for Race Traitor.

  • Today's Morning Edition on NPR

    Today’s Morning Edition on NPR had a story about the Big Blowup of 1910, the only wildfire in living memory to compare to this year’s conflagrations. The techniques and tools developed to fight that fire are widely used today. (requires realplayer)

  • This Post article about Moby's

    This Post article about Moby’s sources for several key samples on his phenomenal album “Play” unfortunately makes a weak argument for an important case.

  • Tips on using garlic from

    Tips on using garlic from the Washington Post, including 5 recipes (2 vegetarian).

  • Why do so many organic

    Why do so many organic foods and cruelty-free products come from Petaluma, CA?

  • A SETI scientist interviewed on

    A SETI scientist interviewed on All Things Considered expects to hear a signal within the next dozen years using a new array of backyard satellite dishes. (Get RealPlayer to hear the story.) If you’re not already donating your spare processor cycles, why not join the SETI@home project?

  • Suddenly, the cloth vs. disposable

    Suddenly, the cloth vs. disposable debate is relevant to my life. Who would have thunk?

  • The Green Boffin is a

    The Green Boffin is a political weblog and Web directory I like very much.

  • 'Yeah. Girls like to play

    'Yeah. Girls like to play with it. I like them to play with it.' The third nipple more than the first two? 'Nah,' he says; less an answer than a refusal to answer. He doesn't want to talk about this any more. He looks away. 'It was just something fucked up to say.'
    Marky Mark on his third nipple.

  • The boring truth is that

    The boring truth is that we already have the tools to save many more than a million kids a year -- all without irrevocably changing the genetic makeup of food staples. What we lack is the political will to mobilize those resources. That was the clear message that emerged last month from the Group of Eight summit in Okinawa. One after another, the largest industrial nations shot down concrete proposals aimed at reducing poverty in the developing world.
    Dru Jay (quoting Naomi Kline) takes a critical look at Monsanto's Golden Rice -- rice genetically modified to contain Vitamin A.

  • This morning two women scaled

    This morning two women scaled a hotel in downtown Los Angeles and unfurled the new United Corporations of America flag in anticipation of d2kla.

  • NASA has produced some stunning

    north america at nightNASA has produced some stunning images of urban growth and of the biosphere.

  • The Village Voice is doing

    The Village Voice is doing a great job covering the RNC protests (isn’t it a little odd that these stories aren’t all over the place?) and to top it off their new design features snazzy dHTML navigation.

  • I'm fascinated by this mirror

    I’m fascinated by this mirror made of 830 little pieces of shiny wood, 830 servo motors, a camera, a few spotlights, and a Macintosh 8600 AV with ten serial ports.

  • If you come across any

    If you come across any stolen music while sojourning in cyberspace, be sure to give it back!

  • Bratta.com is a great resource

    Bratta.com is a great resource for dHTML beginners like me. The free scripts are bulletproof in NS 4 thru IE 5, and I’m learning a lot from this article on 5th generation browsers and the Document Object Model.

  • If I had a cell

    If I had a cell phone that sent email, I’d try out the Robot Project.

  • American Routes is a great


    American Routes is a great weekly radio show focusing on “the important and soulful territory” of American music – starting with jazz, blues, rock, and folk and expanding into klezmer, tejano, zydeco, swing and more. Plus, their Web site has neato pictures like the one above.

  • It takes you to another

    It takes you to another time, and to a frightening, alien land, windswept and gray, dying in quiet obedience to insane decrees of insane leaders. Its authors took the time and space to tell their tale in its every moment, often devoting many pages to scenes that wouldn't last three panels in a monthly American superhero comic book. We come to know the players, large and small, as we meet them, as they reveal themselves to us. Koike and Kojima tell their story masterfully and artfully, portraying a man, a boy, and a country on their journey into Hell.
    About 1/3 of the incredible Japanese comic Lone Wolf and Cub was published in English in 1987, and I was blown away by its stark beauty and powerful story. Beginning this month (Aug 30), Dark Horse Comics will release a monthly series of trade paperbacks collecting the entire story in 28 volumes of about 300 pages each. I'm going to need a new bookshelf.

  • The guy behind Gengoid.com has

    The guy behind Gengoid.com has a good hip hop station at live365.com.

  • Dru Jay of misnomer and

    Dru Jay of misnomer and the monkeyfist collective took some photos at the demonstrations in Philly last week.

  • One day my house will

    One day my house will be this cool. The Icepick house, however, is just scary. In the short term, this slashdot post sounds about right.

  • From the I-want-to-believe department: natural

    From the I-want-to-believe department: natural vision improvement.

  • The Evil Genius Hoaxes are

    The Evil Genius Hoaxes are lots of fun to contemplate.

  • Will people in the future

    Will people in the future have souls? Or will our souls pass into the machines?

  • It's easy to forget that

    It's easy to forget that the Web had that brief period where there were no commercial sites at all, and people did all kinds of strange and interesting and stupid stuff with that space for the hell of it out of weird obsessions or whatever. And they were, in a sense, necessary for laying the foundation for the commercial Web, because the Web wasn't some kind of unoccupied territory; it was fucking nonexistent until people evoked it into existence by creating what the business geeks call "content."
    R.U. Sirius and Justin Hall have a talk.

  • Single Square goes disco!

    Single Square goes disco!

  • meta:matrix brings us "Deja Vu:

    meta:matrix brings us “Deja Vu: the web as we remember it”, a Web-based emulator of early versions of Netscape, IE, Mosaic, Lynx, and other browsers. My site degrades gracefully… does yours?

  • We always recommend that you

    We always recommend that you drink 2 to 3 cups of hot ginger tea a day. Make it a habit. More info (and recipes) at The Chopra Center.

  • The Philadelphia Independent Media Center

    The Philadelphia Independent Media Center is a collective of journalists and independent media organizations providing alternative coverage of this week’s Republican Convention. Check this site several times a day this week for firsthand accounts of the action in the streets.

  • Hell-Raising in Philly - an

    Hell-Raising in Philly - an activists guide to protests outside the republican convention.

  • Every once in a

    Every once in a while, I’ll take a half-hour and comb my system folder for extensions and control panels that I don’t absolutely need for most of my daily Mac activities (i.e. http, smtp, a little ftp and maybe some irc. I’d like to deny the occasional MSFT, but I do dabble in Adobe) – anything that doesn’t pass the test is outta there. It’s time to rebuild. A restart, and Wow, that feels fast! Inevitably, I turn them back on, one-by-one, over the next couple weeks – but for a while, my computer no longer creeps. Things zoom again, almost like my first time on the machine. It’s a good feeling.

  • I listened to a lot

    I listened to a lot of SquidRadio today. Good things are happinging in indie rock again. Or did they ever stop happening? Probably I just stopped listening.

  • The official Star Wars site

    The Millenium Falcon escapes the explosion of the Death StarThe official Star Wars site has a good page about Urban Legends. I’m sure everyone who’s really interested in it has already seen it, but I wish someone had told me about it, so here it is.

  • Will my next portable be

    Will my next portable be a YOPY, or a keyboardless Mac? Decisions, decisions… thanks, ubiquitous computing.

  • It's not that I'm scared

    It’s not that I’m scared of the dark so much as I just think it’s a bad idea.

  • To fight police abuse effectively

    To fight police abuse effectively you need to know your rights. There are some things you should do, some things you must do and some things you cannot do. If you are in the middle of a police encounter, you need a handy and quick reference to remind you what your rights and obligations are.
    From the American Civil Liberties Union, "what to do if you're stopped by the police" in text and handy pdf format.

  • The Washington Post is keeping

    The Washington Post is keeping an eye on how race is lived on the TV with an article on William Collins being kicked off “Big Brother” and one on upcoming DC-based police drama “The District”.

  • Do you remember when HTML

    Do you remember when HTML seemed almost elegant?

  • It's not like black folks

    It's not like black folks are putting their lives on hold to wait for parity or reparation or the cosmic balance of the universe to tilt. We are steering our lives, raising our children and, occasionally, raising our voices. We do not think most white folks set out to deny, or discriminate. ... It doesn't matter if the racism is intentional or not. ... The net effect is the same. ... Income disparity, housing, job, education disparities, infant mortality, disparities in health care delivery and incarceration rates. ... I don't understand whites whose default reaction is to deny that race plays any part in anything.
    In a follow-up to a great Washington Post article I blogged in May, "White Girl" author Lonnae O'Neal Parker and Peggy Sakagawa share several months worth of a provocative email discussion sparked by the initial story. The exchange reveals two remarkably honest people trying to step outside of their comfort zones and achieve a meaningful discourse about the significance of race in their lives.

  • Hmm, why does this URL

    Hmm, why does this URL on Metababy point to me?

  • These people have worked hard.

    These people have worked hard. Y'all leave us alone here. Every coin has two sides, and you're not seeing our side. We've lived here all our lives. You've been here a day.

    Housing is a basic human right. Here, we're using sweat equity to make a home for a family that needs it most. You'd get this in any neighborhood, no matter where you go

    They literally tried to just take over our neighborhood, like we don't care about it ourselves. I'm not heartless; I know everybody needs a home. But this can't be the right way to go about it. If they're so concerned with the homeless, why don't they find them a home in their neighborhood or their parents' neighborhood? Why us?
    A couple of recent Washington Post articles ("Activists, Neighbors Clash Over House Renovation", "Housing Activists Get the Heave-Ho") tell the tale of a mostly white activist group that didn't do its homework and ended up hurting one community while trying to help another. A group calling itself Homes Not Jails moved in to an abandoned house in a DC neighborhood and started hauling out trash and making improvements on the condemned property. The question is: did anyone ask for their help? Turns out the residents certainly didn't... the politically active neighborhood had worked hard to get the city to board the place up. Lesson? Just because your heart is in the right place doesn't mean your body belongs there.. especially when you haven't got your head in order.

  • I really enjoyed the X-Men

    I really enjoyed the X-Men movie. Nothing much to link to, though. I can’t say that I’ve ever seen an official Web site which managed to complement a movie in any interesting way. Why is that? I guess no one’s ever done it right. Perhaps I can write about this for restmyeyes.net (as soon as it launches). I did have a lot of fun at the View Askew (producers of Clerks among other films) site, though this was quite a while ago and I haven’t been back recently. Anyway, this write-up at Metafilter pretty much describes my experience of the X-Men movie, so go there if you want a review.

  • In which Michael Moore declares

    In which Michael Moore declares himself leader of the majority party of Non-Voters until you say otherwise.

  • I saw "Cradle Will Rock"

    I saw “Cradle Will Rock” last night – it may be the best movie I have ever seen. The movie explores the revolutionary nature of art through the mostly true and truly incredible stories of a pro-labor play created through the Federal Theatre Project (a New Deal program which provided work for thousands of unemployed professional entertainers) and Diego Rivera’s commissioned mural for the new Rockefeller Center. Featuring consistently outstanding performances by an ensemble cast of known and less or unknown actors, the movie feels like theater. Offering profound layered insights into issues of class, power and art, the movie demonstrates the revolutionary potential of art.

  • The New York Times wraps

    The New York Times wraps up its “How Race Is Lived in America” series with a special issue of the magazine: “Memories of Race”. Lots of interesting reading – I wish I could stage an intervention for this kid… I’m sure he’ll develop spectacular insight into white racism which I hope he puts to good use – but I’m not too clear about why they thought it would be worthwhile to try to manufacture a “typical” Black and white kitchen based on demographics.

  • trailer

  • 5 years after the Million

    5 years after the Million Man March on Washington DC, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan is organizing a Million Family March. I heard that the Million Man March was an amazing experience. Hopefully I’ll make it to this one.

  • its sad that one could

    its sad that one could walk through life with such inane views of people. i don't know if youre trying to be funny or serious sudama, either way, it's not fucking cool. it's people like you that keep our community, society, country, and world at war. try dealing on the real problem and come up with a fucking solution instead of using some lame cop-out of "it's not fair". fuck racism, and fuck you.
    I shot off at the mouth again on MetaFilter -- this time the friendly readers there called me on it.

  • What a fine, fine poem.

    What a fine, fine poem.

  • Revolting, yet somehow mesmerizing! Once

    Revolting, yet somehow mesmerizing! Once you’ve seen it, you never ever forget it, and everybody has seen one!
    Mark Martin is doing some really good online comics.

  • A lot of people ask

    A lot of people ask me why American people love watching this show. I say that I'm doing a cooking battle, I'm not doing a cooking show. I don't need any gimmicks. I'm doing a very serious cooking battle. I'm a serious battler. It's like a gunfight [reaches for an imaginary six-shooter and fires].
    aOnline talks to Iron Chef Morimoto about his New York victory.

  • There are various options when

    There are various options when you are faced with a terminal disease. One is cure-chasing, where you head off to Shanghai or Brazil or the Dominican Republic to be with these great maestros who can save you. The other thing is to do what you always wanted to do. So that means head to Cape Canaveral to see a shuttle launch, on to sunrise over the pyramids, on to a month in the Grand H?tel de Paris. I wasn't too keen on that, either. My tendency was just to twist another bomber and think about it all.
    Somehow I missed this article from Wired 8.05: Terence McKenna's Last Trip.

  • I read arblog today.

    I read arblog today.

  • Our collective irritation at high

    Our collective irritation at high gas prices in the US burned hundreds of Nigerians to death today.

  • Everything I've ever read about

    Everything I’ve ever read about “how to make a good cup of coffee” says to use 2 tablespoons of grounds for a drip machine per 6 oz. cup. But whenever I try that method, it makes the strongest, bitterest coffee I’ve ever seen. When I use 1 tablespoon (recommended on the can) I end up with a cup that approximates the stuff you get at the office or at a coffee shop. So what gives?

  • por-tal n. A doorway, an

    por-tal
    n.

    1. A doorway, an entrance, or a gate, especially one that is large and imposing.
    2. An entrance or a means of entrance.
    3. A web page with way too many links.
    robotwisdom portals -
    netliterate: http://robotwisdom.com/netlit/index.html
    sources: http://www.robotwisdom.com/weblogs/loglist.html
    startpage: http://www.robotwisdom.com/weblogs/startpage.html
    how-to: http://www.robotwisdom.com/web/starting.html

    abuddha's links: http://www.crosswinds.net/~abuddha/booklink.html
    apathy portal: http://electrobacon.com/portal/
    bird on a wire bookmarks: http://students.washington.edu/lwinn/
    cardhouse: http://www.cardhouse.com/links/links.htm
    jjg: http://www.jjg.net/portal/
    metascene: http://members.tripod.com/amused_2/portal.html
    monkeyfist sources: http://monkeyfist.com/sources/
    nytimes: http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/reference/cynavi.html
    rebecca's pocket: http://www.rebeccablood.net/portal.html
    screenshot portal: http://www.io.com/~amh/screenshot/portal.html
    subterranean notes: http://hine-digital-art.com/weblog/links.html
    trouserarousal: http://www.trouserarousal.net/curiosities/links.html
    twernt: http://twernt.com/portal/index.php3
    unknownnews: http://unknownnews.pitas.com/

    windowseat -
    portal: http://www.windowseat.org/portal/
    tv portal: http://www.windowseat.org/tv/portal.html

    metaportal (aaah!): http://www.myportalzone.com/

  • I've been looking for something

    I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now – free charts and canned horoscopes and transit reports are available at Astrodienst. thanks, texting.

  • Dear Mr. Vernon, We accept

    Dear Mr. Vernon,
    We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it is that we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms and in the most convenient definitions.... But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain. And an athlete. And a basket case. A princess. And a criminal. Does that answer your question?
    Sincerely yours,
    The Breakfast Club.
    Rumor has it John Hughes is working on 2 new projects, including a possible remake of The Breakfast Club. thanks, screenshot.

  • The Anti-Ad Server "serves up


    The Anti-Ad Server “serves up random banner ads that are parodies of actual web advertising or critical of modern day consumer culture capitalism”. Cool!

  • Some Zippy the Pinhead pages.

    Some Zippy the Pinhead pages.

  • This site has been blowing

    This site has been blowing my mind on a regular basis for about 5 years. I think I just found the front door, but I may never be sure.

  • The New York Times takes

    The New York Times takes you through the looking glass at Big Brother. It’s an interesting read, but I can’t help but wonder who the sad, sick people are who produce this show. Imagine standing in the control room with a dozen other people watching strangers on the toilet for 8 hours a day. I’d be more humiliated to be operating that camera than to be taking a shit. What’s wrong with us?

  • Escalating its protest against the

    greenpeace vessel MV Arctic Sunrise

    Escalating its protest against the Pentagon’s ‘Star Wars’ missile program, the international anti-nuclear organization Greenpeace is sending its vessel MV Arctic Sunrise into waters off the launch site at Vandenberg Air Force base where a test launch is scheduled for Friday evening.
    stopstarwars.org is the Web site. Visit the site, learn about the 50 Nobel laureates in the sciences opposed to the missile defense system, think about raising your children in the midst of another arms race, and sign the petition.

  • They say the first step

    They say the first step towards treating a problem is admitting that you have one, so here goes: when I really let myself dream, there’s nothing I’d rather be doing than traveling the world with a pack on my back and my family by my side. It’s really bad – I have no trouble maintaining my illusion of the romance of such a lifestyle in the face of all kinds of harsh reality. What’s worse is that I can’t even pretend that I don’t know better than to take such a journey. Geez… I thought I’d feel better after admitting that, but I just feel worse.

  • While many people when pressed

    While many people when pressed would sooner be apologists for slavery than apologize, it’s heartening to see someone take some direct action.

  • The US Forest Service is

    The US Forest Service is fighting to preserve a unique historical record in northern Arizona: thousands of bark carvings done by Basque (French and Spanish) and Mexican sheepherders on aspen trees. The carvings date from the mid-1900s back to the 1880s.

  • Unfortunately, the practice of advertising

    Unfortunately, the practice of advertising for slaves was commonplace in newspapers prior to abolition. We are not proud of that part of our history and apologize for any involvement by our predecessors at The Courant in the terrible practice of buying and selling human beings that took place in previous centuries.
    The Hartford Courant, the United States' oldest newspaper in continuous publication, ran a front page apology for slavery on July 4th.

  • The officials found a ball

    The officials found a ball of solidified milk nearly 1 inch in diameter that apparently harbored the growth of the bacteria. Although the valve was supposed to be cleaned out once a week, the company records showed that the last cleaning had taken place on June 2.
    Japanese health inspectors think they have found the source of an outbreak of food poisoning which left 7,000 people sick last week.

  • From the New York Press:

    From the New York Press: the best movies of the year, so far.

  • If you've missed the sharp

    If you’ve missed the sharp wit of MacWeek’s MIA Mac the Knife column (recently revealed to be officially retired) then check out MacEdition’s Naked Mole Rat Report in which we witness the return of the cutting-edge Mac industry scoops and rumors.

  • The tendency to sneeze on

    The tendency to sneeze on exposure to bright light is termed the "photic sneeze". It is a genetic character transmitted from one generation to the next and which affects between 18 and 35 per cent of the population. The sneeze occurs because the protective reflexes of the eyes (in this case on encountering bright light) and nose are closely linked. Likewise, when we sneeze our eyes close and also water. The photic sneeze is well-known as a hazard to pilots of combat planes, especially when they turn towards the Sun or are exposed to flares from anti-aircraft fire at night.
    Aha! I knew I wasn't the only one to sneeze due to bright light.

  • So why didn't Icebox do

    So why didn't Icebox do something really gutsy and similarly 'original' by calling this show 'Mr. Sambo'? Why not give their character old-time African American stereotypical facial features instead of Asian? Why not make Mr. Sambo a shuffling butler who worships his 'massa?' Why not have Mr. Sambo later get lynched when he kisses his pretty white 'massa?'
    From a post on Icebox.com decrying the racist "Mr. Wong" cartoon which they refuse to kill. If you visit the site and don't like what you see, be sure to register a complaint through their feedback form. aOnline has been covering the cartoon and the criticism it has received.

  • BoyCaught suggests that the Black

    BoyCaught suggests that the Black Peoples' Prison Survival Guide is defeatist, but I’d guess that for the tens of thousands of Black men in prison in the U.S., it might be worth a read. Of course, I’m not really in a position to judge, but the document srikes me as a Good Thing, all things considered.

  • From the Frugal/Mindful Living Resources

    From the Frugal/Mindful Living Resources page: apartment gardening. The open directory has a category with more info which references container gardening and house plants as well.

  • Tip: if you get something

    Tip: if you get something permanently inked into your skin in a language you can’t read, be sure you know what it says.

  • The Grey Lady weighs in

    The Grey Lady weighs in with her version of a weblog! I wonder if this will become a regular feature. Update: the fine folk at MetaFilter have pointed out that lists of links are “as old as the web” (thanks) and that the New York Times has been posting such lists for some time.

  • Fun with Flash: an exhibit

    Fun with Flash: an exhibit of handheld paintings and a gallery of banner-ad art. The images at both sites are inspired, but don’t forget that interface is art too.

  • I wonder if Bruce Tognazzini

    I wonder if Bruce Tognazzini knows that, according to GirlHacker (whose site exemplifies that elusive symmetry of journal and links that I sometimes strive for), a company called Bluelinx is developing a technology, Q-Zone, which is intended to solve the problem he described in his essay “Cellphone Solution in Search of a Champion” of cellphones ringing in inappropriate places.

  • so i was like "hi,

    so i was like "hi, this is Darcy from Kozmo.com and I am sorry but we are out of stock on Buttman's Anal Adventures" and the guy would be all "uh, yeah, i didn't order that, my roommate did" and i would be like "well, can I suggest Buttman in Budapest instead? we'll throw in a few hundred kozmo points good toward your next rental! thanks for using kozmo" it was humiliating!
    From a discussion about crappy jobs at dot-coms on the Fucked Company discussion board.

  • The 3,000 year history of

    The 3,000 year history of the soybean, again from Whole Earth. I’ve long been a fan of tofu and soymilk, but recently I’ve discovered how tasty the soybean itself is – just boil it with salt. Delicious!

  • Like most migrant mushroom pickers,

    Like most migrant mushroom pickers, Nancy has no bank account, no checkbook, no credit card. "In the last ten years I haven't taken a steady job once," she says with obvious pride. "It's pretty much been mushrooms and huckleberries."
    Whole Earth takes a look at migrant mushroomers, who roam the west coast of the North American continent living by skills that have all but disappeared among modern humanity.

  • From the National Food Safety

    From the National Food Safety Database: storage tips for the top-20 fruits and top-20 vegetables sold at supermarkets. With tips on picking ripe fruit, this one’s going in my Palm for sure.

  • The other day as I

    The other day as I was driving to work I noticed the big print on a historical marker I had never seen before: “Fairfax Nike Missile Site”. Huh? Those words are accompanied by a whole paragraph of teeny text, so the next time I’m not late to work I’ll pull over to read it and take a picture.

  • Macrumors.com has a link to

    Macrumors.com has a link to a couple of pictures of Sony’s new Palm-based PDA to be announced at this week’s PC Expo. Palm Infocenter contributor Mike Cane filed a report from the expo covering many new Palm related products and announcements.

  • If a man is

    Da Vinci's sketch of a parachute

    If a man is provided with a length of gummed linen cloth with a length of 12 yards on each side and 12 yards high, he can jump from any great height whatsoever without injury.
    Despite warnings that the canvas and wood parachute would collapse, Adrian Nicholas jumped from 10,000 feet yesterday to prove that Da Vinci’s design was sound.

  • The next time you drop

    The next time you drop a measuring spoon into your in-sink-erator, you’ll sure be glad they have a Web site. We were about to give up on ever using our sink again before I learned I could fix it with a 1/4" allen wrench.

  • Although it may be unintentional,

    Although it may be unintentional, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines as they exist are really a fundamental form of institutionalized racism in a rather destructive and insidious format.
    Dr. Milton Mills argues that recommending 2-3 servings of dairy products daily to millions of lactose intolerant people of color is not a good thing for the United States government to do. link swiped from the Daily Churn.

  • Last Friday's Weekend section of

    Last Friday’s Weekend section of the Washington Post featured DC hip-hop on the cover. It quotes a local artist speculating that the reason homegrown hip-hop hasn’t taken off commercially is that “go-go is the music of this land… that’s what gets support from the neighborhood kids.” Since that’s the case, why doesn’t the Post cover the go-go scene?

  • IronChef.com has been reborn as

    IronChef.com has been reborn as IronSteph.com, “An UNOFFICIAL Site of All Things Iron Chef”. Yay! The Iron Chef world is gearing up for what promises to be an incredible show tonight when the chefs travel to New York City to battle with the Food Network’s Bobby Flay. Time Out New York has a short interview with eccentric millionaire Chairman Kaga – or, rather, with the actor who portrays him. The battle airs at 9pm EST for 2 hours, after which I will be logging on to FoodTV.com for a “tell-all” chat with Bobby Flay.

  • This illustrated procedure for disassembling

    This illustrated procedure for disassembling a Magic 8-Ball is fascinating. How many sides does the polyhedron inside have? How many positive and how many negative answers? And what does that blue fluid taste like? Find out all this and more…

  • I saw a woman get

    I saw a woman get arrested at a Restoration Hardware in Palo Alto for yelling at some of the rich customers. She was yelling "You rich bitch!" and things like that. I thought, Here's real social resentment - here comes the revolution!
    The Atlantic talks to David Brooks, author of Bobos in Paradise, which investigates the pressing question of "whether or not we've reached the end of history and it's all going to end in this tepid, boring, big kitchen."

  • Subvertise -- "this shared web-gallery

    Subvertise – “this shared web-gallery of radical arts exists to document, develop and promote the artform of the post-corporate millennium - subvertising. Whether you need outrageous illustrations for your campaign literature, graphics for understanding and explaining complex social issues, or inspiration for an action, this website is for you.” If you like the idea, lean about ways you can help out.

  • indy Magazine turns out to

    indy Magazine turns out to be the independent comic news/reviews Web site I’ve been looking for. Unfortunately they don’t seem to review every issue of every independent comic that comes out every week – even a review of every title would be nice – including of course, all one-shots, compilations and the like. Am I asking too much? With sites like epinions and Amazon.com turning their users into content producers to provide multiple reviews of everything under the sun, I don’t think so.

  • I'm sorry, but this is


    I’m sorry, but this is hilarious.

  • Adrian Tomine's diaries read sort

    Adrian Tomine’s diaries read sort of like his comic, Optic Nerve. I’ve wondered since I was a kid exactly how comic pages were composed (“how do they know how big to make the word balloons?") and Marvel’s How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way wasn’t much help, but Tomine has sprinkled his diary with some glimpses into the method (and madness) of his process.

  • O'Reilly, known for publishing definitive

    O’Reilly, known for publishing definitive books on a wide range of computing technologies, has released Mac OS in a Nutshell. The book is sure to appear on the bookshelf of “the Mac person” on whom you rely for troubleshooting and assistance – so why not get a copy for yourself?

  • I was churned today by

    I was churned today by the monkey fist, and all I got was a few new lousy friends. If you don’t stop by the #mf channel (irc: monkeyfist.com:6667), you should at least take a gander at the Daily Churn now and then – it’s a log of links that come up in the irc chat. Imagine a random set of links filtered by a handful of uncommon minds – there’s no telling what will turn up, but it’s certain to be interesting.

  • No Lye, No Soap! Can

    No Lye, No Soap! Can not make soap without LYE!

  • Retrogression ("a journal of music

    Retrogression (“a journal of music and revolution”) is a great weblog. I’d add it to my list of daily reads, but it hasn’t been updated since May.

  • Hober broadcasts from a geodesic

    Hober broadcasts from a geodesic dome in the oak forest just outside Washington DC. There are some strict rules governing which music is aired on Hober. The music should be hand played, without augmentation. A Hober band is people who could walk up to each other with their instruments in the middle of a field and just play their stuff. Drums should be struck by the hand rather than a stick. Hober songs should be musical descendant of melodies and rhythms which people knew, remembered and passed down - before recording machines existed.
    This is why I love Internet radio. I haven't listened to Hober yet, but I'm sure looking forward to it.

  • Mumia Abu-Jamal, a political prisoner

    Mumia Abu-Jamal, a political prisoner on death row in Pennsylvania, gave this year’s commencement address at Antioch College. You probably missed it today on C-Span at 4pm, but you can listen to it on the Internet (requires the free realplayer) thanks to c-span.org, where you can watch many other commencement speeches including Tom Wolfe’s at Boston College, Oprah Winfrey’s at Salem College, and George Plimpton’s at Hampshire College.

  • "I hate Northern Virginia. .

    “I hate Northern Virginia. . . . I thought, if I buy a boat, I can always move it.”

  • Nader believes that it

    Nader believes that it is "the contented classes" who need most to be aroused to indignation. The wealthy plutocrats? They are never going to join the revolution. But the top 10 percent, who live lives of comfort, who when the municipal water supplies become tainted, simply switch to Evian? When the public schools become monuments to failure, simply opt for private schools?
    Well, it's not Evian, it's Brita, but I'm guilty as charged. The Washington Post speculates as to whether Nader's campaign will impact the Democrats or the Republicans more in this year's race. Nader says the parties are as different as tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum, and I tend to agree. I think I could maybe get behind Ralph Nader for President.

  • Police said the officer thought

    Police said the officer thought he saw a flash of metal, perhaps from the cellular telephone, wallet and keys that police said Buruca-Melgar was carrying in his hand.
    Jose Buruca-Melgar was shot in the gut point blank with no warning from police, a witness says. The Prince George's County (MD) police are counting on the hope that no one in the DC area paid much attention to the details of the Amadou Diallo case -- Diallo was supposed to be pulling his wallet out of his pocket when four cops shot forty-one bullets at him in February of last year. Folks, they can only use these bullshit excuses for as long as we let them.

  • Sarah Duncan's What White People

    Sarah Duncan’s What White People Can Do About Racism is required reading. Exceptions will be made only for those who have already written at least 4000 words on the same or a similar topic.

  • It sounds real -- it

    It sounds real -- it sounds like we used to. It sounds like a band. There was nobody there to say, 'Record this, don't record that, and add a keyboard there.' We didn't rehearse or play the songs to death before we recorded them, and that let us catch a freshness and energy level we've never really felt while making records.
    Edie Brickell talks about the New Bohemians' new self-released live-to-tape the live montauk sessions in an interview with the Austin Chronicle. I wonder if there's any way I'd be able to make it to Vermont to see them perform at Ben and Jerry's One World One Heart Festival next weekend.

  • Pull your pants up, turn

    Pull your pants up, turn your hat around, and get a job. This was the headline of an article about Napster which was posted to MetaFilter for discussion, and which struck me as rather fucked up. So of course, I said so – and was quickly put in my place by a bunch of well-meaning (I continue to hope) MetaFilter users. Check out this thread to see how it went down. If you’d like to continue the discussion you can post a comment here.

  • One of the critical barriers

    One of the critical barriers to building ever higher skyscrapers is elevator construction: Elevator passengers traveling hundreds of floors would experience inner-ear problems, from severe pain to broken ear drums.
    You can browse the FEED City Issue on the Web, explore it with Flash, or just read it in rich text format; no matter how you approach it, it's a treat, featuring annotated Quicktime panoramas of six street scenes from around the globe, five examinations of ambitious projects that never were (such as Frank Lloyd Wright's mile-high skyscraper), five profiles of ambitious projects that are underway, and four essays on the theme.

  • Terrorism against the U.S. --

    Terrorism against the U.S. -- which is already exceptionally unusual -- would be all but imperceptible if American foreign policy were just and humane. But there's the rub: foreign policy cannot be either just or humane as long as U.S. corporations and elites seek to maintain the U.S. Empire. In other words, if you want to reduce terrorism globally dismantle the American Empire!
    Kendall of the monkeyfist collective examines the report of the National Commission on Terrorism and comes to a somewhat different conclusion. I couldn't resist giving away the punch line, but this is a really great analysis of a really terrifying document. Highly recommended.

  • NASA robot and intergalactic bounty


    NASA robot and intergalactic bounty hunter: separated at birth?

  • Most people don't know that

    Most people don’t know that the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 guarantees that if you’ve held a job for at least one year and your company employs more than 50 people, you are entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year which you may use to care for a newborn child or a family member with a serious health condition. The FMLA further ensures that your position must be available to you when you return and that your medical coverage continues uninterrupted during the course of your leave. It’s unfortunate that paid paternity leave isn’t more common in the United States, but this law offers some assistance to fathers looking to stay home.

  • Mr. Valdés seems uncharacteristically thoughtful

    Mr. Valdés seems uncharacteristically thoughtful when discussing his friend's life. His friend, he says, has chosen to live as a black man rather than as a Miami Cuban.

    . . .

    "He said that?" Mr. Ruiz asks, lifting his eyebrows. "I don't know why he would think that blacks are delinquents. I know he doesn't think that of me, and I'm black. I've always been black." A pause. He thinks some more. "He grew up with blacks," he says. "I don't understand it. Maybe something bad happened to him. I am sure he is talking about American blacks."
    The New York Times' "How Race Is Lived in America" series starts with this profile of a black man and a white man who were best friends in Cuba but find that their new lives in Miami are circumscribed by the color of their skin.

  • Some compromises with authenticity must

    Some compromises with authenticity must be made. Wallpaper paste used to be made with arsenic, and gardens fertilized with lethal pesticides. "We do not want the family to die," explains curator Daru Rooke.
    The 1900 House, in which one family is picked to live in a house to find out what happens when people stop using deodorant and start wearing corsets, begins tonight on PBS in most areas.

  • If you've seen the movie

    If you’ve seen the movie Fight Club, take a look again through BoyCaught’s eyes.

  • I like this Gallery of

    I like this Gallery of Visual Journal Entries very much. Before you peek at that last entry on the right, try your hand at this logic puzzle.

  • Who knew the first cyborg

    Who knew the first cyborg would be a fish? This is crazier than cloning, and even that was something I didn’t expect to see in my lifetime.

  • He leaned his shoulder against

    He leaned his shoulder against a marble wall as he began to speak, his face so close to the cool surface he could have kissed it.
    Society is struggling to make sense of the sight of people in public talking out loud to increasingly invisible telephones, according to the New York Times.

  • Pliny tells us that Cicero

    Pliny tells us that Cicero asserts that the whole Iliad was written on a piece of parchment which might be put in(to) a nutshell. For more origins of words and phrases, check out the Internet Public Library’s etymology pathfinder.

  • Scott McCloud's new book Reinventing

    Scott McCloud’s new book Reinventing Comics is available in comic stores today. If his previous book is any indication, this new one will belong on the shelves of everyone working in new media and anyone interested in information, art, design, or literature. After you’ve read the book, check McCloud’s resources page in the next few weeks for online resources and expanded footnotes for Reinventing Comics.

  • Revealing Things was the first

    Revealing Things was the first Smithsonian exhibit to be created specifically for the Internet (way back in 1998!) and it’s very, very good. The interface is full of new ideas and old ones done right, and feels natural to use. The site incorporates Flash, frames, and Java seamlessly. Any one of these technologies done well is impressive. The sum of the parts works out to a fascinating meditation on objects, as the title suggests.

  • These puppets are lots of

    These puppets are lots of fun.

  • A big role that this

    A big role that this company is playing in this country is that of a massive school. This company teaches people about punctuality, about following procedures, about teamwork. That's the way I see it. Remember, this country comes from an agricultural base. If it's raining, nobody works. If it's windy, nobody works. If it's a cloudy or a dark day, that's the day you have to put the seed in the ground -- that's the day when people work. The other days, work is over by 10 AM, because the sun is too hot. We're going through a big change of that mentality, and that's what I consider this company -- a big school.
    Grupo M manufactures clothes for Abercrombie 'n' Fitch, Hugo Boss, and Tommy Hilfiger, and is the largest private employer in the Dominican Republic. A Fast Company article suggests that rather than a sweatshop it's a model of social responsibility, worker empowerment, and indusry reform.

  • Today slashdot reports that Fuji

    Today slashdot reports that Fuji Television, the creator of the best show on television, has issued cease and desist orders to all Iron Chef fansites requiring that they remove all Fuji-owned graphics and sound. Perhaps rather than writing angry letters to Fuji TV and threatening a boycott (as one slashdot reader suggested,) we should instead take a cue from Apogee and offer them a ride on the cluetrain, so to speak. Apogee Software (makers of the popular Duke Nukem games) has developed a license agreement laying out strict rules under which fan sites can use Apogee trademarks – perhaps the slashdot reader remembers when this came up a few days ago. While the Apogee license in its current form is admittedly problematic, the concept seems pretty groundbreaking. Fuji doesn’t need to issue a half-dozen cease and desist letters to protect its rights – it can simply issue terms under which fan sites may or may not use Fuji property. Hopefully such terms would tend toward allowing fan sites the freedom to celebrate the show, while protecting the rights of the Fuji to conrol how those marks are used.

    This situation reminds me of the best observation I heard about the whole Napster/Offspring situation – if Napster were really cool, like Offspring had hoped, they would have sent Offspring a licensing agreement to sell their merchandise rather than a cease and desist.

  • ‘Interactivity’ is one of those

    ‘Interactivity’ is one of those neologisms that Mr Humphrys likes to dangle between a pair of verbal tweezers, but the reason we suddenly need such a word is that during this century we have for the first time been dominated by non-interactive forms of entertainment: cinema, radio, recorded music and television. Before they came along all entertainment was interactive: theatre, music, sport — the performers and audience were there together, and even a respectfully silent audience exerted a powerful shaping presence on the unfolding of whatever drama they were there for. We didn’t need a special word for interactivity in the same way that we don’t (yet) need a special word for people with only one head.
    This is why Douglas Adams rocks.

  • The refined debauchee shrinks before

    The refined debauchee shrinks before the gastronomic libertinism of the Baptists. Pie, sensually crusted and voluptuously perfumed with cinnamon, is a devil's snare perfected by the Pilgrims. The Methodist tooth is fleshed daily in succulent pork and rare chines of beef. Young fowls are daintily fed and fattened, they are lured to the block by enticements of corn, they eat their way to death, and die below the axe, victims of the deceptive kindness of their masters. The full udders of cattle, themselves the fruit of bovine immortality, are robbed daily of their lactic treasure. Sunday, among the Methodists, after a formal propitiation of the Almighty in the morning, is given over to a Lucullan celebration of Ceres and Pomona. The fact that Bacchus is excluded from these orgies only serves to taint the ceremonies with a hint of perversion.
    A version of Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel is being republished as "O Lost," incorporating 60,000 words that Wolfe scholars have argued were erroneously cut. The Washington Post talks to one Wolfe expert who says that O Lost is not just a longer book than Look Homeward, Angel, but a fundamentally different book with a greater focus on American culture.

  • Taco Bell and Wendy's and

    Taco Bell and Wendy's and Burger King are competing for the fastest fast food service; they've become so mechanized and controlling that they glue workers to spots in the assembly line, even requiring them to position their hands in particular ways to shave tenths of seconds from production time.

    Dress it up any way you want, but that's fascism!
    One thing about the monkeyfist collective, it's never afraid to speak it's mind.

  • The Offspring are selling Napster-branded

    The Offspring are selling Napster-branded merchandise from their Web site. They don’t have permission, and are keeping the profits for themselves. Their latest single may have been puerile reactionary trash, but this latest move is a stroke of genius. “It isn’t about money,” a source close to the band reveals to Rolling Stone. Apparently they think Napster’s cool and want to see just how cool they really are.

  • At 5am South African time,

    At 5am South African time, a bomb exploded in the coutyard outside Microsoft’s offices in Johannesburg.

  • I walked up to the

    I walked up to the driver's side of the car, to the driver's window, and I said, "May I help you?" The car was a dark colored big suburban, I think it was 4-door. There was a lady driving. She asked me if we, meaning Whitmore's [landscaping company], had put up a fence and I told her no. At that point she staretd to get extremely angry and she called me a "Fucking liar". She asked, "Who put up the fence?" and I said that I didn't know. She then started yelling, "All you Whitmore guys are fucking liars, you're all no good, the bunch of you". She was just screaming at me and yelling that "you and all your fucking illegal aliens are no good". She said she was going to call the police. I said go ahead. The whole time she was yelling at me, I said, "This is not really necessary to be talking like this and don't talk about my guys like that." I kept telling her, "I'm sorry there is nothing I can do about it". She said, "Don't you leave, I'm calling the police and you're going to take that fence down." At this point, she picked up her car phone. Right around that point, I realized that this person was Martha Stewart, who has a house next door. I recognized her from TV.
    That's not all -- it gets better when Martha Stewart tries to crush this guy with her truck. thanks, boing boing.

  • Baudelaire was the first to

    Baudelaire was the first to be given like tries to collect what there is "the poetic one in the history" and "of eternal in the transient." Charles Baudelaire is also that which knew to extract the beauty from the evil, it is to say that following Romantic, it opened the way of an esthetics of the suffering. The poet ran his chaotic experiment of the world in ideal worms of harmony and images where the blackest feelings become landscapes afflicted certainly, but also splendid. Baudelaire is well that which "has Petri of the mud and which in made gold."

    Arthur Rimbaud, it is to him the fulgurance, the movement in what it has of more attractive. Rimbaud was still a child that already it dreamed to leave to the adventure, to invest new regions, always further; and it is what it did while travelling towards the most foreign countries which are in its Charleville native. It is also what Arthur Rimbaud did while creating of the poems where the words are not there any more to express with beauty the feelings of everyone, but where they have like role of, literally, to force the reader to invent new emotions.
    Oh, fickle fish, grant me one wish: to understand what the hell this french Web site about Hugo, Baudelaire, Verlaine and Rimbaud is saying!

  • Did you always wonder how

    Did you always wonder how the “Monster in the Popcorn” trick is done? Now you, too, can terrify small children and mortify adults with your odd predilection for jokes that no one but yourself find funny.

  • Cartoonist Keiron Dwyer was hit

    Cartoonist Keiron Dwyer was hit with a lawsuit for this one. Fortunately, the court ruled that he can continue using the parodic logo, although he may not profit from it. His Web site is worth a look. Be sure to browse through the funny-as-hell pics section.

  • Crap. Bullshit. You were a

    Crap. Bullshit. You were a stupid American tourist without the guts or the gumption or whatever small little bit of toenail dirt it takes to actually walk into a strange restaurant in a strange city and try to make sense of the place.
    In which Grant Barrett quietly launches his new Web project, Mo Nickels, with content mysteriously dating back to November of last year.

  • Sudama is an acronym? No,

    Sudama is an acronym? No, it’s not. It’s a name which appears in ancient Hindu literature.

  • "Cameras have been attached to

    “Cameras have been attached to the sides of rockets before but the images from the rocketcam on the side of the first launch of the Atlas 3 booster must be the most dramatic. They take the viewer on a 1 minute 50 second ride from a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida to the edges of space with the curved horizon of the Earth clearly visible.” thanks, davenetics.

  • Freshly-Ripped: the beat don't stop

    Freshly-Ripped: the beat don’t stop until the buffer runs out.

  • If you decide to stay

    If you decide to stay in your body form - Click Here.
    If you decide to be transformed into an energy shape - Click Here.
    The thing about Choose your Own Adventure books was that every time I finished an adventure, I couldn't help but feel that I had somehow lost.

  • I'm afraid I can't see

    I'm afraid I can't see much difference between Spielberg's serious movie and his boy's book movies. Schindler's List depends on Spielberg's inflatable, one-size-fits-all myth about how a clever, resourceful character can outsmart a system. Is that what the meaning of the Holocaust boils down to--Indiana Schindler versus the Gestapo of Doom? ... How about a movie that deeply, compassionately entered into the German point of view in order to reveal how regular people with wives and children could be drawn into committing such horrors? How about a movie that showed that, at least potentially, we are them? A film that didn't locate the bad guys in an emotional galaxy far away?
    Ray Carney, film critic and professor at Boston University, says that dozens of great films have been made in recent years, and chances are you haven't heard of a single one.

  • When Brent Kennedy started questioning

    When Brent Kennedy started questioning his origins, an aunt doused old family documents and photographs with gasoline and set them ablaze. "I hope you burn in hell," another relative told him.
    It seems Melungeons (persons of mixed ancestry including European, African, and Native American) have never been very popular.

  • Even worse than the Q-Tip

    Even worse than the Q-Tip test: the candiru fish.

  • Barnes & Noble.com is offering

    Barnes & Noble.com is offering a slew of free eBooks for download in conjunction with Microsoft. It’s a promotion for the new PocketPC, but Palm users can take advantage of the deal by downloading the free eBook reader software from PeanutPress. thanks, PalmLounge.

  • A shared sense of mortality

    A shared sense of mortality has been the basis for feeling a commonality with other human beings -- a sense of going through the same life cycle, a sense of the preciousness of time and life, of its fragility. The possibilities of engaging emotionally with creatures that will not die, whose loss we will never need to face, presents potentially dramatic changes in our psychology.
    Professor Sherry Turkle is researching the ways in which people relate to the new category of objects (Tamagotchi, Aibo, Hasbro's upcoming My Real Baby) which seem to possess intentions, preferences, and other human characteristics. A preliminary investigation into the nature of Furbies reveals that children do feel they're alive -- "not ... in a human or animal kind of way, but in a Furby kind of way."

  • NBC will likely broadcast the

    NBC will likely broadcast the five unaired episodes of Freaks and Geeks in a three-hour marathon this summer. If you appreciate the kind of good TV that comes around a few times a decade, you should check this out.

  • This movie of a cat

    This movie of a cat getting scared will make you laugh out loud. Poor cat!

  • When an underwater volcano erupts

    When an underwater volcano erupts near the surface, it sometimes forms an island. A team of scientists were lucky enough to happen upon such an eruption recently.

  • Cabeem is bubblet for the

    Cabeem is bubblet for the Web. Very dangerous.

  • LARS ULRICH: I think that

    LARS ULRICH: I think that most of what you're saying deals with the record company being these money hungry, greedy, blah blah blah. Remember one thing: I can guarantee you that there's nobody at Napster who is doing as a charitable event for all of mankind. There are investors behind Napster, and there are people sitting and counting the days until Napster puts out an initial public offering, and they'll make millions of dollars in return for their worth.
    CHUCK D: It's always been about the shadow of technology hanging over the entertainment industry anyway. And it's definitely been about two different worlds--
    LARS ULRICH: Right. And there's millions of dollars involved in Napster in the same way that there are millions of dollars in your evil music business. I think it's like, if the record company bosses don't take the money, then the Internet people are going to take it. Somebody's going to profit off it, and if it's not the artist, then you're profiting illegally. It's bulletproof--who can argue with that?
    I wish I'd seen this episode of The Charlie Rose Show -- Lars Ulrich made some interesting, though unconvincing, points. Now if only Metallica would get around to answering these questions from slashdot, maybe we could keep the cluetrain rolling. thanks, saturn.org.

  • Ars Technica weighs in on

    Ars Technica weighs in on Mac OS X DP 4 – a must-read for UNIX/Linux users and technically inclined Mac heads.

  • Scott McCloud's top ten Web

    Scott McCloud’s top ten Web comics are bound to be worth investigating. thanks, bird on a wire.

  • Gnute.com is a Web based

    Gnute.com is a Web based interface to the gnutella file-sharing network.

  • Go read the new Lynda

    Go read the new Lynda Barry cartoon at Salon, you turtle-headed sucker-leg.

  • For each of the

    For each of the past two winters it has snowed at least 36 feet. Feet, not inches. The building is called Begich Towers, a 14-story monolith and a model of drab Army efficiency, rising like an urban transplant amid the town's rail-yard waterfront. City Hall, the Country Store, the U.S. Post Office and Cabin Fever Cures, a combination video store and tanning salon, all sit on the first floor. The tunnel has long been Whittier's lifeline to the rest of the world. In winter, when the ferry service isn't running, a train ride through the two-mile tunnel under a mountain is the sole avenue of access. It runs four days a week, with a single passenger car and a series of flat cars; folks sit in their cars and trucks for the slow ride through the tunnel, then about 10 more slow miles out to the Seward Highway.Foul weather, a fortress of a building and a tunnel. That's this town.
    The imminent opening of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel to automotive traffic will expose Whittier Alaska, population 250, to 1,500,000 tourists in the coming years.

  • I've jazzed up the 'links

    I’ve jazzed up the ‘links open windows’ tool a bit: see the linked text next to the checkbox? This is now a bookmarklet, a tool that can live in your toolbar or favorites list for you to use wherever you like. Just drag the link up to your toolbar (a la deepleap) and click it whenever you want links to open windows – on any Web page, not just randomWalks. Enjoy! (Note: these are not the improvements I mentioned earlier. This bookmarkletization I did myself.)

  • I think I'd rather read

    I think I’d rather read a hiking site for amnesia victims than this old blog any day. No, not that one, this one.

  • Believe it or not, I

    Believe it or not, I did come up with that ‘links open windows’ toggle all by myself. Once again, feel free to use it for your own purposes. Someone emailed me recently about some improvements they made to the code, which I’ll share (or at least link to) soon.

  • Some roots and seeds that

    Some roots and seeds that were churned up in the landslides came to rest near the surface and soon sprouted. Insects buzzed in, and pollen rode the mountain winds. Tiny pocket gophers, whose burrows had served as bomb shelters, emerged to dig new holes, churn up fresh soil. One forested valley that was transformed into a flat expanse of rubble is today a patchwork of wetlands and plains, home to bright green Pacific chorus frogs, red-winged blackbirds, elk and coyotes. The air is heavy with alder pollen, and noble firs and Douglas firs sprout everywhere. As more plants like the purple lupine flower or the orange fireweed sprout, rebirth gathers momentum. The area should be fully renewed within 100 years, an eyeblink in geological time.
    It's been 20 years since Mount St. Helens erupted with the force of a 24 megaton nuclear bomb, and life is returning to the devastated area.

  • Stealing artists' music without paying

    Stealing artists' music without paying for it fairly is absolutely piracy, and I'm talking about major-label recording contracts, not Napster. If these major labels aren't going to do for me what I can do for myself with my nineteen-year-old Web mistress Brooke [Barnett], which is drive millions and millions of people in less than a month by just doing that Web site, and providing real content for that Web site, than they can go to hell.
    Courtney Love, whose band Hole is in the middle of a contract dispute with Geffen Records, spoke out in favor of Napster at the Digital Hollywood Conference in New York last week.

  • How good was that Simpsons

    How good was that Simpsons last night, and how bad was that X-Files? I’m so sure Scully is excited about her pregnancy.

  • DivX (not the DOA Circuit

    DivX (not the DOA Circuit City DVD scheme) is a new codec which just might do for video what mp3 has done for audio. Check out MacDivX for more info.

  • American Pictures is a narrated

    American Pictures is a narrated slideshow documenting “a Danish vagabond’s personal journey through the American underclass.” Jacob Holdt tours the US in the spring and fall bringing the “mind-shattering experience” to standing room crowds at colleges and universities. I can’t wait to see it.

  • Sidewalks aren’t natural things. Paving

    no more prisons

    Sidewalks aren’t natural things. Paving over nature with concrete is the real graffiti. And since when does painting on a sidewalk ‘damage’ the sidewalk? It rubs off after a few months without a trace. Where’s the damage? City workers spray paint all over the streets and sidewalks with flourescent colors because there is a compelling reason for this. They are saying: Do Not Drill Here. There is a Gas line or a water line and if you drill here, there is a clear and present danger. That’s exactly what I’m saying. ‘If you keep building prisons and taking away money from schools and social programs, there is a clear and present danger.’
    Someone has been spraypainting “no more prisons” on sidewalks in cities across the US… perhaps you’ve seen it? Now find out why.

  • Sparky the penguin announced his

    Sparky the penguin announced his candidacy for president on Monday, “because you could do a lot worse this year”.

  • "Sewage line feeds into Louisiana

    “Sewage line feeds into Louisiana water line for 3 months”? Oh no, no no no no.

  • What some call cube art,

    What some call cube art, I call a monumental waste of time – I feel it’s more descriptive. thanks, larkfarm.

  • Bjork is not an actor,

    Bjork is not an actor, which was a surprise for me because she seems so professional and really she is not. She is not acting anything in this film, she is feeling everything, which is very hard on her and very hard on everyone. It's like being with a dying person.
    Lars Van Trier, Danish Dogme director of Dancer in the Dark, had a difficult (but rewarding) time working with Bjork.

  • TAFKAPinkaPa.

    TAFKAPinkaPa.

  • "Breaking the Bank", a video

    “Breaking the Bank”, a video documentary of the a16 DC events, is now available on videotape and online.

  • Promising new (to me) blog:

    Promising new (to me) blog: bjord.org, “which is officially known as the HQ for underground anarchist web developers building ecommerce backdoors for the revolution, running homebrew log software.”

  • Jason O'Grady of the PowerPage

    Jason O’Grady of the PowerPage is providing live coverage of Steve Jobs' WWDC keynote.

  • Several years ago I was


    Several years ago I was trying to educate myself about the Black Panther Party when I came across this so-called “Coloring Book” presented online as an authentic Party creation. It shocked me into thinking that the Black Panthers were too violently prejudiced to be worth my further investigation. Only today did I learn (thanks, monkeyfist) that the coloring book was a product of the FBI’s COINTELPRO – a project the US government undertook almost forty years ago is still undermining dissenting discourse and progressive political thought and action today.

  • Over the weekend, the Guardian

    Over the weekend, the Guardian Unlimited reported the almost-unbelievable story that “the US Air Force developed a top-secret plan to detonate a nuclear bomb on the moon as a display of military might at the height of the Cold War.”

  • Check out this incredible satellite

    Check out this incredible satellite image of the smoke plume from the Los Alamos fire drifting across several states.

  • Ingolf is a young man

    Ingolf is a young man with a bathroom obsession. His entire 65-square-metre apartment has been converted into a washroom. And he lives in it, dreaming of his girlfriend Eva, who is as beautiful as the shower attachment, and feels "My bathroom and I are one". He listens to Beach Boys' hits and Handel's Water Music, loves and sleeps in the bathtub. And when he dies, he wants a bathroom sink with pedestal and crossbar taps on his grave in place of a gravestone. Ingolf is the hero of our modern fairytale.
    Statements is an art magazine devoted to bathroom culture, published by German plumbing fixtures company Dornbracht.

  • SimplyRadio.com broadcasts Simply Hip-Hop, Simply

    SimplyRadio.com broadcasts Simply Hip-Hop, Simply Electronic, and Simply R&B, Reggae and Soul in both Real Player and MP3 formats.

  • She's the author of the

    She’s the author of the best Indian vegetarian cookbook you can buy, but her passion is acting. Madhur Jaffrey talks to Teresa Wiltz of the Washington Post about racial identity, colonialism, and Cotton Mary, her latest film.

  • Found photos rock.


    Found photos rock.

  • Columbia Journalism Review's Who Owns

    Columbia Journalism Review’s Who Owns What is a guide to the holdings of the major media companies. Blah blah blah trite transition blah blah, Working Assets (the long distance company who donates a percent of your bill to progressive organizations – or the progressive organization that offers long distance service) has launched an online radio station broadcasting progressive news, intelligent talk and alternative viewpoints.

  • The periodic table of comic

    The periodic table of comic books? Check out the rare appearance of molybdenum in issue 70 of Flash, January 1993 page 6. Chlorine is key to a plot twist in issue 188 of The Avengers Volume 1, October 1979. With references to every element and a special section devoted to metal men, this site has to be seen to be believed.

  • Cousin Kim, I say. Which

    Cousin Kim, I say. Which is better? The kindly massa or the sadistic overseer? And Kim doesn't answer. Neither, I tell her. They are the same. Two parts of a whole. Today, folks won't just walk up to you and call you "nigger lips." Well, they might, but mostly it is the benign racists who are killing me softly. They don't recognize themselves in the mirror. They didn't mean anything by it. They harbor no ill will. They just don't care enough to step outside their comfort zone.
    Another great reason to read this Post article.

  • In Bob Levey's latest column,

    In Bob Levey’s latest column, he tries to fend off “a large, friendly, conspiratorial, Caucasian arm.” Mos Def describes the same arm on his latest album. Are you familiar with the arm?

  • It is early June, and

    It is early June, and Cousin Kim and I are about to watch "Roots," the landmark 1970s television miniseries about a slave family. Kim says she's heard of the movie but has never seen it. So I go to queue the video in the cassette player, but first I make a cup of tea. And straighten the pillows on my couch. Then I check my voice mail.

    I am puttering. Procrastinating. Loath to begin. Because I don't know if our blood ties are strong enough to withstand slavery. And I am scared to watch "Roots" with a white girl. Scared of my anger. Scared of my pain. Scared that she won't get it. Scared of how much I want her to. Scared of the way race can make strangers out of family.
    I haven't finished this Washington Post article about interracial people and families and passing, but I already know it's good. Is it irresponsible to blog things I haven't read? How else am I going to remember to read them? U: Turns out the article is more about black people and racial consciousness, and a little about passing... and I was right, it is good.

  • The AltaMeter is a lot

    The AltaMeter is a lot of fun: enter two or more words (or names, phrases, etc.) and see how they rank in terms of Altavista hits. This is actually an idea I first saw implemented by my boss (currently Executive Director of BlackPlanet.com) a couple of years ago – he wanted to chart the results of such a query over time as a sort of index of memetic currency. I didn’t think then that the search engines would do a good job of exposing trends in popular consciousness, and this query supports my thesis. I think this is due to a shortcoming of search engines in general – the idea itself is elegant and ought to be possible through the proper application of technology and algorithm.

  • The latest rumor regarding the

    The latest rumor regarding the Muslim formerly known as Cat Stevens is that a VH1 “Behind the Music” is in the works. As this wire story suggests, the life story of Yusuf Islam would be the show’s holy grail. The former folk singer, whose few hit records can be found on the shelves of most hippies (and their children), dropped out of the public eye when he joined one of the world’s most misunderstood religions.

    I hope that last link gets you thinking about propaganda. There’s certainly a lot to think about.

  • How many reviews of Radiohead's

    How many reviews of Radiohead’s OK Computer will I have to read before I realize that the only way to know what you think about music is to hear it?

  • who scribbled all night rocking

    who scribbled all night rocking and rolling over lofty incantations which in the yellow morning were stanzas of gibberish,

    who threw their watches off the roof to cast their ballot for Eternity outside of Time, & alarm clocks fell on their heads every day for the next decade,

    who cut their wrists three times successively unsuccessfully, gave up and were forced to open antique stores where they thought they were growing old and cried,

    who were burned alive in their innocent flannel suits on Madison Avenue amid blasts of leaden verse & the tanked-up clatter of the iron regiments of fashion & the nitroglycerine shrieks of the fairies of advertising & the mustard gas of sinister intelligent editors, or were run down by the drunken taxicabs of Absolute Reality,

    who jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge this actually happened and walked away unknown and forgotten into the ghostly daze of Chinatown soup alleyways & firetrucks, not even one free beer,

    who drove crosscountry seventytwo hours to find out if I had a vision or you had a vision or he had a vision to find out Eternity.
    Allen Ginsberg wrote, revised, and read Howl for the first time in the San Francisco area between 1954 and 55. The Washington Post offers a self-guided tour of Howl's inception.

  • You'll probably enjoy this.

    You’ll probably enjoy this.

  • Today's Washington Post carried an

    Today’s Washington Post carried an article which purported to be about comic books going postmodern in an attempt to revive their failing popularity. The article failed to illuminate any issues facing the comics industry though, and how you can talk about postmodern comics without mentioning Frank Miller’s Dark Knight and Moore and Gibson’s Watchmen is beyond me – oh wait, you can’t. I’m guessing the article was just a reformulated press release for a new DC Comics series called “Realworlds”.

  • O: So what you're saying

    O: So what you're saying is that drugs make you a winner.
    TA: Exactly. That's my point. They're the missing link between coolness and uncoolness.
    The Onion AV Club interviews Trey Anastasio of Phish.

  • The winners have been announced

    The winners have been announced in the sylloge 5k web design contest. Wow. Check out the hungry little frog, iris, and WAR (the card game). I would have been impressed by any of these even if they’d been 100k.

  • Tanzanian Peaberry coffee beans are

    Tanzanian Peaberry coffee beans are about the size of a pencil eraser. I've got a tad under a pound of them at home, sealed in a bag in my pantry. They're still green -- well, more like a greenish-brown, really -- because they haven't been roasted yet. This morning I scooped about six spoonfuls into my roaster and turned it on while I showered. After 15 minutes the house was filled with the aroma of freshly-roasted coffee. If you've not smelled that, and you like coffee, you are missing out. It's like the smell of coffee beans, or a nice coffee house, but smokier, richer, earthier. Enormously pleasant. I took the beans, still hot, and whirled themin my grinder. Steam was released and condensed back to water in the underside of the domed lid, all in ten seconds. The coarsly ground beans were then transferred into my French Press where they sat in nearly-boiling water for about five minutes. Twenty minutes total from raw bean to brew. To the coffee in my cup I added a spoonful of the freshly whipped cream I'd made for my strawberries and stirred with a piece of freshly cut sugar cane (a gift from my neighbors just returned from Florida. They also brought some segments that were starting to sprout, which I promptly planted in the side yard.)
    Eric of Kestrel's Nest lives an obscenely sensual life. I can't read his weblog too often, because it leaves me green. When I do read it, I find myself inspired to roast my own coffee beans in a hot air popcorn popper, make my own cheese, and cut my grass with an unpowered push mower.

  • The US Army expects to

    The US Army expects to build a Star Trek style holodeck within 30 years. Woohoo!

  • Slashdot will be taking questions

    Slashdot will be taking questions tomorrow for Metallica. In the meantime, John Katz has posted a diatribe against the band’s Napster lawsuit which has provoked some interesting discussion, including this post which suggests that the record companies know exactly what they’re doing – it’s not that they’ve missed the cluetrain, they’ve been busy building tracks and commandeering switches.

  • I'm spending a lot of

    I’m spending a lot of time at Digital Photography Review’s Nikon forum lately – drooling over photos people have taken with their new 990s, commiserating with folks waiting for their own camera to arrive, and fantasizing about the photos I’ll take when I finally get my hands on one. One post pointed me to the very odd Beyond Red, a collection of photos taken with a 950 using a filter which only allows infrared light to be captured.

  • Time's cover story this week,

    Time’s cover story this week, The Truth About the Vikings, is a fascinating though not especially well-written substitute for a field trip to the Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Check out both if you can.

  • The new Guardian weblog, with

    The new Guardian weblog, with links to great stories such as this Boston Phoenix piece by a reporter who spent two nights undercover in jail, will, with some bending, pushing and squeezing, partly fill the hole left by the closing of World New York. On a tangent, it looks like Grant Barrett is working on another project called Mo Nickels which I hope to remember to check out in June.

  • Without Sanctuary: "Searching through America's

    Without Sanctuary: “Searching through America’s past for the last 25 years, collector James Allen uncovered an extraordinary visual legacy: photographs and postcards taken as souvenirs at lynchings throughout America. Please be aware before entering the site that much of the material is very disturbing.”

  • This in-depth review of the

    This in-depth review of the new Nikon Coolpix 990 describes a way to compensate for the noise generated in images with long exposure times by layering a blurred full black frame of equivalent exposure using the ‘difference’ layer option in Photoshop.

  • Seven folktales about flatulence from

    Seven folktales about flatulence from D. L. Ashliman’s collection of hundreds of folklore and mythology electronic texts.

  • We always think in terms

    We always think in terms of opposites. But God, the ultimate, is beyond the pairs of opposites. That is all there is to it.
       -- Joseph Campbell

  • Justin Quinnell's bath, as seen

    Justin Quinnell’s bath, as seen by his tongue? Justin held a film canister in his mouth to achieve this perspective. My new digital camera should arrive any day now, but in the meantime I’m developing a fascination with pinhole cameras. I’ll probably make my first one out of an oatmeal box. Some people get into the technical aspects of pinhole photography, (you can be extremely precise if you wish) but I’m drawn to it for the opposite reason – without a viewfinder, a precision lens, and a computer controlled shutter, you can’t possibly know quite what will develop. I’m also a sucker for anything with such a wonderful history.

  • Dr. Dre has followed through

    Dr. Dre has followed through with his threat to sue Napster. He issued a statement yesterday in which he stated 'I don't like people stealing my music'. I guess it wasn't 'stealing' when Dre made all those mixtapes that used be sold at the LA swap meets back in the early days of his career. I have a couple of those tapes and I don't think Dre got any of the music cleared, nor do I think he sent any of the artists royalty checks for beats used on those tapes.

    -- Davey D takes Dr. Dre to task in the latest edition of his FNV Newsletter.

  • "I learned about black consciousness

    "I learned about black consciousness from Tyson," Gore said. Tyson got him to read The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice. Gore said he remembered "loooonnng conversations at night in the bunk beds, top to bottom and back again" about the books, and how and why blacks perceived the world differently from whites. "You know, the way concepts of value and worth and beauty and normality are all defined in a majority culture in ways that can be hurtful . . . It was really quite an education."
    The Washington Post Magazine presents 13 Ways of Looking at Al Gore and Race. John Tyson was Al Gore's roommate in his junior year at Harvard.

  • This frightens me.

    This frightens me.

  • Three things I want to

    Three things I want to find in the Northern Virginia area: vegetarian restaurants, farmer’s markets, and food co-ops.

    I know I won’t find vegetarian Chinese food as good as Hunan Delight in Brooklyn or Vegetarian House of Dim Sum in Manhattan’s Chinatown, but I’m going to keep my eye on the vegetarian resources listed at dcpages.com, and maybe one day make it out to Rockville MD to try Yuan Fu. The Vegetarian Society of DC also keeps a list of area restaurants and groceries.

    Since we won’t be able to get great produce by just walking down the street, we’re going to have to figure out the farmer’s market scene.

    We never joined the Park Slope Food Coop, probably because they didn’t let non-members shop and membership required a $100 deposit. A membership certainly would have been worth the money, but it never seemed to be the right time. Natural food stores are few and far between, but there’s Straight from the Crate in Alexandria, and The Uncommon Market, a cooperative in Arlington. Kendall at monkeyfist has a good explanation of why I want to avoid shopping at Fresh Fields as much as possible.

    We’ll also need a source for fresh bulk spices, and ingredients for Indian, Japanese, and Chinese dishes that we make. This Washingtonian Restaurants and Dining section actually has a good deal of info about shopping for groceries. According to this Washingtonian article on ‘ethnic’ markets, there’s a great Indian spice store in Arlington. So I guess we’ll be alright.

  • All of our stuff is

    All of our stuff is packed in candy boxes we found on the street on recycling night – Bubblicious, Twizzler, Kablooie Blast, Lemonheads, Gummy Wormz in Candy Dirt, Ludens Cherry Lozenges, Swedish Fish. Sometimes I think I’d rather open a box and find the candy than a bunch of cords and markers and papers and floppies.

  • Sometimes (like just now) drinking

    Sometimes (like just now) drinking beer gives me the hiccups. That’s weird, but not as weird as my wife, who gets hiccups whenever she eats boiled eggs or french fries. I’ve always found the ‘cures’ (holding your breath, breathing into a paper bag, drinking from the far side of a glass) to be unreliable, but it took google about 3 seconds to find me a cure that worked.

  • The Onion has a couple


    The Onion has a couple more Easter card designs on their site, and isee isay is celebrating this Easter with an investigation into the true nature of peeps, those bright yellow sugar-coated marshmallow ducks which inspire either candylust or revulsion (occasionally both) in everyone I know.

  • It's like suddenly learning how

    It's like suddenly learning how to program in C++, only you have to eat the guy from tech support to see the benefits.
    Genetic algorithms -- programs which are seeded, evolved, mutated, and evaluated rather than engineered -- are finding their way into software (like the game Evolva due out this month) that you and I will be using in the near future, according to FEED's Steven Johnson.

  • Smash! in DC, some record

    Smash! in DC, some record store in Portland OR, and See Hear in NY are some places I’ve found copies of Cometbus, my favorite zine. Read Punk Rock Love and see why.

  • Everybody was linking to the

    Everybody was linking to the Constructor recently, but it didn’t hold my interest. I just found Gravilux, and I’ll probably be playing with it all day.

  • Harrowing account of attack on

    Harrowing account of attack on Black Zimbabweans, vis-à-vis robotwisdom.

  • Apparently angling for a picture

    Apparently angling for a picture in the dictionary under ‘myopia’, the Librarian of Congress declared last week that the Library of Congress will not digitize its collection. I guess he misplaced his copy of the mission statement or something.

  • The appeal of laissez-faire capitalism,

    The appeal of laissez-faire capitalism, as it spread around the world until it vanquished even the Soviets, was simple: You need neither a change in structures nor a change in human nature. Instead, the bad side of human nature -- the greed, competitiveness, and materialism -- could be counted on to magically produce enough wealth that many people could actually enjoy the easy life that the utopians and commissars could only promise. That is the revolutionary idea of our time, and it has cast into a sepia shadow both Gandhi and Lenin. We distrust moralizing as thoroughly as we distrust government; in a cynical age, our ultimate trust is in the notion that trust is unnecessary, that we should each simply advance our own cause.
    Bill McKibben writing for Mother Jones about the joys of renunciation. thanks, riothero.

  • Here's a page of Godel,

    Here’s a page of Godel, Escher, Bach resources. One day I’m going to read this incredible book all the way through. Who? Godel, Escher, Bach. Why? Take a peek at what’s inside.

  • The best pictures yet

    The best pictures yet of Area 51 were recently released. No one can get through to the official site, of course, not even Mulder and Scully.

  • Bryan Boyer's Hidden Information Spaces

    Bryan Boyer’s Hidden Information Spaces is required reading for Web designers. thanks, invisiblog.

  • xblog reminded me that Scott

    xblog reminded me that Scott McCloud’s new book Reinventing Comics (a follow up to Understanding Comics) is due out soon. I’m going to keep an eye on xblog’s archive of comics links.

  • William A. Dickey renamed the

    William A. Dickey renamed the peak, the tallest point in North America, Mt. McKinley in 1896. Why he got to name it is hard to fathom. Dickey had come to Alaska spurred by discoveries of gold in Cook Inlet. With three companions he made it to Talkeetna and saw Denali, "the great one" in the language of the nearby Tanaina Indians. According to C. H. Merriam, testifying before the U.S. Geographical Board in 1917, "The right of the discoverer to name geographical features has never been questioned," but Dickey was no discoverer. Native people had discovered the mountain thousands of years earlier. Even if only white people "discover," Russians saw it in the 1770s or 1780s and named it Bulshaia Gora, "big mountain." Even if only English-speaking white people "discover," George Vancouver saw Denali in 1794. Dickey was not even the first white American to see it; other Americans had preceded him by a quarter century.
    Excerpted from James Loewen's new book Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong. Read the first chapter at washingtonpost.com.

  • indymedia: live coverage of imf

    indymedia: live coverage of imf & world bank protests

    studio X live audio coverage of a16
    mobilization radio
    a16 official site
    monkeyfist a16 coverage
    yahoo IMF news photo search
    washingtonpost.com special report
    c-span streaming video of rally & march
    kidspost: the protests explained - “Do the two sides agree on anything? They agree there are more than a billion people on Earth who barely have enough money to survive."
    wp cameraworks top story
    infoshop news (scroll down)
    znet a16 coverage & analysis
    a-infos news

  • Some really good Boondocks strips

    Some really good Boondocks strips recently:

  • Gotta remember Teaser anticorporate media

    Gotta remember Teaser anticorporate media and resources.

  • Romans did not consider male

    Romans did not consider male genitalia obscene or pornographic, or even particularly arousing. Instead, erect penises were regarded as a good-luck charm. Painted or sculpted, they stood in every part of the town, and measured all possible lengths, from four feet downwards. They appeared on shops, factories and taverns, above the doors of houses, on statues adorning fountains, gardens and private houses, on lamps, tripods, necklaces, bracelets. Several comic depictions show men - and, on occasion, gods - with grotesquely enlarged penises. In one case, a gladiator is pictured in apparent mortal combat with his own penis.
    It's funny, the things you don't remember from 4th grade social studies. Closed to the public for 200 years, the "secret room" of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples is now welcoming visitors. thanks, flutterby.

  • "I can remember waking up

    “I can remember waking up one morning in my native Manhattan, all ready to go out and roast a pig’s tail over an open fire, just the way the Ingalls family did. It seemed only natural. More than anything, I longed to see someone construct a log cabin by hand.” Melanie Rehak loved to read as a child.

  • Now showing at the sitesalon

    <img src=“http://www.sitesalon.co.uk/NewFiles/ghettoja.jpg" align=“right” width=“64” height=“96” / hspace=“12”>Now showing at the sitesalon gallery: “four hundred weddings and an erection showcases a small sample of the millions of photos which lie uncollected in the backrooms of chemist shops and developing labs."

  • According to CNN, some episodes

    According to CNN, some episodes of Iron Chef were taped in New York recently pitting Food Network stars against the Iron Chefs themselves. I would love to see Chin Kenichi kick Sarah Moulton’s ass, and then looked shocked when he won. The best battle, of course, would be Emeril Lagasse vs. Morimoto Masaharu. BAM! I doubt that’s gonna happen, though. The news on IronChef.com suggests that only one such episode was taped, which will air on June 26th. I can’t wait! thanks, rc3.org.

  • While New York's high tech

    While New York’s high tech industry has all sorts of magazines and mailing lists devoted to it, the only thing I can find for the DC area is a column in the Post.

  • I've never been given a

    I’ve never been given a definition of gentrification I was satisfied with, so I’m always working on my own. If you asked me today, I’d say gentrification is when white people occupy a poor neighborhood and drive out residents by increasing costs of housing & goods, such as is happening in the Shaw, Anacostia, LeDroit Park, and Columbia Heights neighborhoods in Washington DC, in Harlem, in San Franciso’s Mission District.

    This is certainly a problem in my neighborhood, and a local community organization has come up with a creative approach to the problem – they’ve established a so-called displacement-free zone within which they plan to strategically defend low-income residents against being forced out of the neighborhood.

  • The day in photos --

    The day in photos – check back tomorrow for today’s pics.

  • "On April 12, 1961, Soviet

    “On April 12, 1961, Soviet Major Yuri Gagarin, aboard the Vostok I became the first human to travel into space.” What else happened today? How about in Asian history? Radical history? Black history? Rock and roll history?

  • I'm excited about Upski's appearance

    I’m excited about Upski’s appearance at ABC No Rio this Thursday. I wonder if I’ll also be able to make it a week from Friday when “classically trained composer Evan Hause will perform the entire double LP, KISS Alive! (1975), on solo electric guitar and voice, accompanied by a moderate amount of critical commentary and musical analysis.”

  • Infolets is blogging "Internet innovations,"

    Infolets is blogging “Internet innovations,” which turns out to be a bunch of interesting and useful stuff.

  • Standing in the middle of

    Standing in the middle of a six-lane street with his arms spread, Miremont somehow managed to convince three lanes of traffic to stop, while coercing another crew member to stop the opposing three. The shut-down was mounted five times over a two-hour period, and Meza, used to getting stopped by LAPD on an irregular basis, was sure he would go to jail that day. But with all the blessings heaven could spare, a patrol car never even cruised by, not even when traffic was flowing smoothly. With traffic stopped, Ron (Garcia, who played Leonard) would drive out onto Colorado, speed through a red light into the intersection for certain shots, or come to a complete stop in front of a green light...Why no one called the police is a mystery.
    From the presskit for "Staccato Purr of the Exhaust", an independent film. thanks, looka!

  • I'm fascinated by the situation

    I’m fascinated by the situation in Zimbabwe but the BBC’s coverage somehow leaves me cold. Perhaps that’s because British colonialism is at the root of the land ownership disputes today between a minority of wealthy white farmers and the government.

  • On the way back to

    On the way back to New York, looking out the bus window, I saw two things I’d never noticed before. The first thing gave me a chill as we reached the top of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. An unmistakable nuclear cooling tower sat on the horizon looking like a cartoon. It seemed impossibly huge and far away, though it was probably quite close. This might have been the Hope Creek plant, or maybe Salem (pictured). I almost wish I hadn’t seen it. The second thing I almost missed as we crossed a bridge over a small creek on New Jersey Turnpike. I stared for a moment before I realized what it was – an old brown riverboat, intact but bare as a skeleton and lying at an unnatural tilt – and in that moment it was gone.

  • When a white woman in

    When a white woman in Harlem doesn’t know what the term “police brutality” means, that’s white privilege.

  • When Black women are strip-searched

    When Black women are strip-searched twice as often as white men and women, that’s institutional racism.

  • I wonder what the trial

    I wonder what the trial of the Chicago Seven would have looked like on Court TV.

  • Aurorae were seen as far

    Aurorae were seen as far south as North Carolina in the U.S. last night, due to an intense geomagnetic storm. There’s a chance they’ll be happening tonight too, so if you’ve got clear skies and relatively little light pollution, go outside when it gets dark and look towards your nearest pole.