July 17, 2007
[politics] Margaret Thatcher and Ice Cream: ‘Fans of the Mister Softee style have Margaret Thatcher [..] to thank. She was one of the team of chemists at J Lyons who first developed soft frozen ice cream.’ [via boundr]
July 3, 2007
[uʍopǝpısdn] dı1ɟ — .sʇɹnɥ pɐǝɥ ʎɯ .uʍop ǝpısdn ʇxǝʇ dı1ɟ oʇ 1ooʇ qǝʍ :)
June 30, 2007
[science] Yes, the universe looks like a fix. But that doesn’t mean that a god fixed it … ‘The impression of design is illusory: our universe has simply hit the jackpot in a gigantic cosmic lottery. The multiverse theory certainly cuts the ground from beneath intelligent design, but it falls short of a complete explanation of existence. For a start, there has to be a physical mechanism to make all those universes and allocate bylaws to them. This process demands its own laws, or meta-laws. Where do they come from?’
June 28, 2007
[politics] Go to Australia or use your own Judgment … ‘As prime minister, with ultimate responsibility for Britain’s nuclear deterrent, Mr Brown has to write a letter, in his own hand, giving instructions detailing what the UK’s response should be in the event of a pre-emptive nuclear attack. The letter will be opened only by the commander of a British Trident submarine, who would have to assume that the prime minister was no longer in a position to take “live” command of the situation. The options are said to include the orders: “Put yourself under the command of the US, if it is still there”; “go to Australia”; “retaliate”; “or use your own judgment”. Each new prime minister writes the letter as soon as he or she takes office…’
May 26, 2007
[games] Pac-man’s Skull — a photo of what a real Pac-man’s skull might look like.
April 26, 2007
[blogs] In which Weird and Inexplicable Things Happen Involving Letters, Trees, Front Doors and Keys — Dave Gorman on why he’s changed his locks … ‘It was about 9.30 on Sunday night and I and a friend were watching some TV and having a lazy time of it. Pizza was involved and bellies were full. I heard a key in a door and I heard a door opening and there was a moment before I realised that it was my door opening. Now… no one else should have a key for mine and no one else should be letting themselves into my house at 9.30 on a Sunday evening…’ [via Feeling Listless]
April 24, 2007
[drugs] 72-Hour Party People … behind the scenes at 3 day meth binge — ‘”Oh, my God, you know the fucking war, right? The liberation, the occupation, whatever? And the Palestinians, right? And the Israelis and the Muslims and Hindus and all the hate and the fucking guns and the bombs and the, uh, the, uh, you know, all the children with their legs blown off by land mines in Afghanistan, right? You see what I’m saying? I mean, you all know, you’ve all seen like a million times that one picture of that little boy from Afghanistan, right? And he’s in his little purple robe, with his little white sheepherder’s hat, and his little Christmas Carol, um, what do you call it? His Tiny Tim crutches, you know, right? And he’s got these, like, you know, like these little sad, brown, puppy dog, fucking abused-animal, dog-pound, take-me-home-please eyes, right? I mean, God…okay, right now, let’s get online, and let’s find out who he is and where he lives and, and, and, let’s find out what we need to do to buy him a new leg, right now! Who’s got a laptop?” Bonnie is 27 and a florist…’ [via Metafilter]
April 17, 2007
April 7, 2007
[green] I’ll Compost Your Corpse — The BBC’s “Ethical Man” looks at the issues around decomposing a corpse in an enviromentally friendly way. ‘…the problem with the way a corpse decomposes at the bottom of a grave is that there isn’t enough oxygen to get a good aerobic compost going. The main by-products of aerobic decomposition include carbon dioxide and water meanwhile anaerobic decomposition produces methane – 23 times as powerful a greenhouse-gas as CO2.’ [via Digg]
March 7, 2007
[iraq] Pat Dollard, Hollywood Guy Gone Gonzo … ‘After his fourth wife left him because she got upset about his hobbies, which included cocaine and hookers, Hollywood agent/producer Pat Dollard decided to get his head together by flying to Iraq to hang out with Marines and fight insurgents and film a pro-war documentary that would make him “the Michael Moore of the right.” A few weeks later, he sent his Hollywood pals a photo of himself with a Mohawk haircut, a machine gun and the word DIE shaved into his chest hair. After that, things started to get weird.’ [thanks Phil]
January 29, 2007
[tv] Weird, or just Wanting? — Louis Theroux on Weirdness. ‘…what I did come to realize was this: that the strangest behaviours are always answering some very normal human need – for love, for religious meaning, for a place in the world. And that the “weird beliefs” themselves never stood in the way of me making a human connection…’ [via As Above]
January 26, 2007
January 23, 2007
[brain] Free Will: Now You Have It, Now You Don’t — The New York Times on Free Will … [via Kottke]
‘In the 1970s, Benjamin Libet, a physiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, wired up the brains of volunteers to an electroencephalogram and told the volunteers to make random motions, like pressing a button or flicking a finger, while he noted the time on a clock. Dr. Libet found that brain signals associated with these actions occurred half a second before the subject was conscious of deciding to make them. The order of brain activities seemed to be perception of motion, and then decision, rather than the other way around. In short, the conscious brain was only playing catch-up to what the unconscious brain was already doing. The decision to act was an illusion, the monkey making up a story about what the tiger had already done.’
January 22, 2007
[future] Must-know terms for the 21st Century intellectual — On Cosmological Eschatology and Galactus: ‘CE is the study of how the Universe develops, ages, and ultimately comes to an end. While hardly a new concept, what is new is the suggestion that advanced intelligence may play a role in the universe’s life cycle. Given the radical potential for postbiological superintelligence, a number of thinkers have suggested that universe engineering is a likely activity for advanced civilizations.’ [via Warren Ellis]
January 18, 2007
[mobiles] Man Badly Burned when Cell Phone in Pocket Flares … ‘A cell phone in the front pocket of a Vallejo man’s pants spontaneously combusted, quickly ignited his clothes and left the man with second- and third-degree burns across at least half his body, according to investigators. Luis Picaso, 59, was apparently sleeping on a white, all-plastic lawn chair in his room late Saturday night and was awakened as he was ablaze…’ [via Warren Ellis]
[mobiles] Cell Phones Filthier Than Bottom of Shoe … ‘The phones contained more skin bacteria than the any other object; this could be due to the fact that this type of bacteria increases in high temperatures and our phones are perfect for breeding these germs as they’re kept warm and cozy in our pockets, handbags and brief cases. These bacteria are toxic to humans…’
December 29, 2006
[net] Just Can’t Get E-nough — the New Scientist on unhealthy habits created by technology. On Cheesepodding: ‘In certain circles there is even an ironic cool to be had from out-cheesing your friends. There is a problem, though. As with all addictions, you end up needing bigger and bigger hits to get the same buzz. Once I started downloading Celine Dion power ballads, I knew it was time to stop. Fortunately, I have found a variant that is, if anything, more entertaining. I download songs I know my wife hates and put them onto her iPod while she isn’t looking.’ [via the Guardian’s Technology Blog]
December 13, 2006
[rumours] The 40 Best Celebrity Rumors Ever … On Richard Gere and Gerbils: ‘…none of Gere’s interviewers have had the guts to go there, or maybe there’s some kind of publicist-issued fatwa, but Gere has never publicly addressed the rumor. Would you?’
October 1, 2006
[blogs] A couple of interesting comics-related posts on Metafilter …
- Like Snopes, But For Comics … Metafilter post on comics ‘urban legends’. For example, which Pet Shop Boy was a Marvel Editor?
- Defining the Mentalist in Fundamentalist … this post links to Stewart Lee’s TV program on blasphamy in comedy which is available on YouTube. The post includes a fabulous description of Alan Moore as ‘a strikingly hirsuite man in the manner of a wilderness prophet.’
- They Saved Hitler’s Self-Hating Jewish Sea-Monkeys … another comics urban legend… The twisted man behind those Sea-Monkeys and X-Ray Specs adverts in comics. From the post: ‘I think there’s some subclause to Godwin whereby the phrase “Sea-Monkeys” un-Godwins any post.’
August 10, 2006
[weird] The Chosen Ones — Jon Ronson meets Indigo Children who apparently are “super-evolved, psychic beings” … ‘I’m curious to know more about the Indigo children – this apparently vast, underground movement. Although Indigos say they communicate telepathically, they also communicate via internet forums, such as Indigos Unplugged…’ [via As Above]
August 5, 2006
[lightbulb] Livermore’s Centennial Light — Apparently, the oldest working lightbulb in the world … ‘Age: 104 years and counting (as of 2005)’
August 4, 2006
[crab] Crab vs. Pipe — old viral video on YouTube … ‘An undersea robot is sawing a 3mm wide slit (1/10th of an inch … remember that width) in a pipeline. The pressure inside the pipeline is 0 psig, while the pressure outside is 2700 psi, or 1.3 tons per square inch. Then a crab comes along….’
May 10, 2006
[belly] Why doesn’t my belly button heal over? — also answers the important medical conundrum: Where does belly button fuzz come from? … ‘Belly button fuzz (or lint) comes from the clothes you wear. Some fabrics shed more than others. Some shapes of belly buttons are better collectors. A hairy belly button will collect fuzz better than a hairless one.’
May 8, 2006
[numbers] Ask Metafilter: How is this lame maths Trick Possible? …
- Grab a calculator
- Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the area code)
- Multiply by 80
- Add 1
- Multiply by 250
- Add the last 4 digits of your phone number
- Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again
- Subtract 250
- Divide number by 2
May 2, 2006
[bullets] Worth Watching: A Video of Bullets Going Through Objects in Slow Motion. [via Metafilter]
April 23, 2006
[weird] 27 Project — a website about the number 27. ‘…one thing is for sure. once you are awake to the conspiracy you will never be the same again. by reading this far, your life has already changed for ever.’ [via Metafilter]
April 11, 2006
[tv] Deal or No Deal Noel Edmonds Figure Playset — for sale on Ebay. … ‘Remember folks this is a one of a kind auction! Now deal or no deal!’ [via Feeling Listless]
April 1, 2006
[web] MyDeathSpace.com — tracking the deaths of MySpace users… ‘Cause of Death: Text Messaging + Train’
March 26, 2006
[gross] My Eyeball Just Fell Out of Its Socket — What should you do? … ‘The treatment for globe luxation is pretty simple: Doctors apply some topical painkillers, hold back your lashes, and poke your eyeball into its socket by pressing on the white part with gloved fingers. (In some cases, they’ll use a simple tool like a bent paperclip to shoehorn it back into place.)’
February 18, 2006
[fun] Tom Baker Says… … ‘Hello. I am Tom Baker and I will be saying things to you by the magic of SMS.’ [Related: Actor Baker becomes voice of text]
February 11, 2006
[google] The Register: 40-Metre Profanity Spotted from Space … ‘It beats crop circles for crowd-pleasing entertainment value. Quite who Eddie is and why his name is writ large in rural England, we’ll leave that to readers to explain.’
February 10, 2006
[london] London Tube Map with Anagrammed Station Names … ‘A Retard Cottonmouth’
February 4, 2006
[mobiles] How I Stalked My Girlfriend … ‘For the past week I’ve been tracking my girlfriend through her mobile phone. I can see exactly where she is, at any time of day or night, within 150 yards, as long as her phone is on. It has been very interesting to find out about her day. Now I’m going to tell you how I did it. First, though, I ought to point out, that my girlfriend is a journalist, that I had her permission (“in principle …”) and that this was all in the name of science…’
February 2, 2006
[web] The Last Google Result — What is the last Google result for a search term? [via Gordon McLean]
January 28, 2006
[tv] Forensic criminology, the ZX Spectrum Way — how did the sound of the loading screen from Sabre Wulf get into CSI: Miami? … ‘Their expensive new XRF machine appears to be a Sinclair Spectrum making tape loading noises. But as if that’s not geeky enough… The combined forces of comp.sys.sinclair have identified the data in question as the loading screen to Sabre Wulf by Ultimate.’
January 22, 2006
January 20, 2006
[blogs] This Blog Will Change Your Life — what happens if you spend a year following the instructions in This Book Will Change Your Life … ‘A day of compliments. Flatter someone today and see if it does indeed get you anywhere. “Gee, that sure is a splendid mustache comb.”‘
December 29, 2005
[radio] Tracking the Lincolnshire Poacher — a radio program about Shortwave Numbers Stations. [via qwghlm.co.uk]
December 22, 2005
[survival] Important Question of the Day: Is it a good idea to drink your own urine? … ‘Dr Stroud says there is just one situation where urine might be useful – if, just as your ship sinks, you happen to be completely drunk. “Like you just had eight pints of lager and you were peeing like crazy,” he says. “Arguably, the first couple of urines, if you kept those, might just possibly give you more water than salt.” As for non-emergency situations, Stroud dismisses those who believe urine could be beneficial…’
December 19, 2005
[stalking] Stalking for Beginners — a Howto guide on ruining someone’s life … ‘After he fell asleep, I took down all the phone numbers in his cell while hiding in the bathroom. Mom, Dad, Susan, Rita, Jeff, and some guy named “Coke Delivery.” Real subtle, dude. I went back to bed with him and murmured “I love you.” He moved away from me. Everything was working as planned. He was getting stalked.’ [via iamcal.com]
November 29, 2005
[celebs] Finding Stalking Billie Piper — a Blogger’s Odyssey in search of Billie Piper … ‘Previously: Triforce decides it wants to find Billie Biper. Uses Google. Tracks down approximate location. Decides to go drinking and find her. And keep her.’
November 23, 2005
[graffiti] The Writings on the Stall — website of writings found on toilet walls … ‘This toilet paper is like John Wayne. Tough as nails and don’t take shit off nobody.’
November 8, 2005
[war] The Military Applications of Silly String … ‘ I’m a former Marine I in Afghanistan. Silly string has served me well in Combat especially in looking for I.A.Ds., simply put, booby traps. When you spray the silly sting in dark areas, especially when you doing house to house fighting. On many occasions the silly string has saved me and my men’s lives.’ [via As Above]
October 21, 2005
[ebay] Crazy eBay Mom (scroll down) – eBay Addiction taken to the outer limits.
October 3, 2005
[comics] Page 227 from A History of Violence — a scan from John Wagner’s and Vince Locke’s comic from 1997. ‘… there does seem to be an elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about, in regards to the source material.’
September 29, 2005
[food] What’s the best way to cook a giant squid? — with apologies to Squid Lovers.
“Famed Fish Chef” Aldo Zilli: ‘You would boil it. You need the largest pot in the world. Boil it for 10 hours with lots of wine corks to tenderise the squid – and I don’t mean plastic corks, I mean cork corks – then leave it in the same water for five hours to cool down. Take it out, cut it up in small pieces – you’ll need a very, very, very sharp knife. Soak the tentacles separately in cold, salted water for a couple of hours, because that’s where the sand is. Boil those as well; red wine is a good source of tenderising, so use a couple of bottles of chianti and leave to rest in the juice. Take it out, cut it up, then sauté in garlic and chilli and serve with coriander and a nice sauvignon blanc.’
August 26, 2005
[blogs] What’s That Bug? — a blog which identifies insects from pictures readers send in. Undoubtedly Gil Grissom’s favourite blog… 
[via Peter Cooper]
[via Peter Cooper] August 3, 2005
[food] Blogjam’s Garden Snail Risotto — Fraser hunts, farms, kills and eats some lovely creatures from his garden… Sounds Delicious! … ‘And into the pan they go. Reluctantly ignoring their silent snail screams, I boil them gently for ten minutes. Rather strangely, the water turns yellow, but I can’t find any reference to this on the Internet – I’m hoping it’s not some kind of toxic gastropod secretion, but only history will tell…’
… ‘And into the pan they go. Reluctantly ignoring their silent snail screams, I boil them gently for ten minutes. Rather strangely, the water turns yellow, but I can’t find any reference to this on the Internet – I’m hoping it’s not some kind of toxic gastropod secretion, but only history will tell…’ June 14, 2005
[web] Is It Normal? — confirms by peer-review if your odd little habits are normal or not … Q: I shower at the night is that normal? A: Showering in the evening is a crime against God, and you shall surely burn in the fiery pits of Hell, heathen.