Rube Goldberg would be proud

Too Many People in the World...cha cha cha.

Recently having been to Las Vegas, Denver Airport, Chicago Airport, I have decided that there are too many people in the world without courtesy or manners. I don't like it.

Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome

Have you heard of Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome? - Self cannibalism.

Listen to NPR Science Friday June 6th 2008, it's about half-way through. Interviewee is
Richard Preston with a new book "Panic in Level 4"

For more information visit:
Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome Information Page at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Quote from website: "Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (LNS) is a rare, inherited disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT). LNS is an X-linked recessive disease-- the gene is carried by the mother and passed on to her son."

Braincast - on the frequency of mind and brain

A great podcast aiming to explain difficult topics to uncomplicated people. This podcast is by Arvid Leyh and started in Germany in 2005. Thankfully, for those of us who only understand every third word in German, he has started a version in English. Thanks Arvid!
English version
German version

Gas Prices and European Tour

So, it seems everyday we hit a new record. Price per gallon is up a dollar over last year, and thirty-three cent over just last month. And our beloved President Bush is kicking off his farewell tour of Europe. Who the hell is he Cher? David Hasselhoff? Does Europe love him so much that he needs to tour around saying his goodbyes burning up extra jet fuel? Because you know he doesn't fly public; he's got the whole USAF to cart his sorry, lack-luster, butt around.

Guess who's invested heavily in oil...me? No, President Bush. What is he doing to
alleviate the plight, ney blight, of the common American? Tootling around the world shaking hands and rubbing shoulders.

Mommy and Daddy Bush are you happy with what your son has done? Are you proud? Can you look America in the eyes and say it?

Surprise, surprise, Rural U.S. Takes Worst Hit as Gas Tops $4 Average
Hey Prez, don't forget who grows the food...is it the big cities with ample public transportation who don't give a crap about gas prices? No. It's the farmers rural America. So fix it.

Puzzle Games

I have a new addiction--online puzzle games. I don't like jigsaw, or slide the tile, or get X# of gems in a row Connect Four type crap; I mean real mind bending puzzles that force you to think in three dimensions or more.
If you love great puzzles like me check these out on www. shockwave.com

Hyper Frame:
http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/hyperframe.jsp

Bloxorz:
http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/bloxorz.jsp

And this one combines puzzle-like thinking with destruction (bonus!)
Metalix Tower Defense:
http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/metalixtd.jsp

I've completed Hyper Frame and Bloxorz, and have gotten to level 20 on Metalix. Post a comment and let me know how far you get.
If Bloxorz drives you crazy, I've heard that there are solution videos on YouTube. But come on, the fun of puzzles is figuring them out without getting help.

Short Browser Rant

Why do web browsers have 'stop loading' buttons if they don't work? Have you ever typed an incorrect URL and hit enter before you realized you typoed and clicked stop and it didn't?
Arrgh!

"Muto" by Blu. This is basically stop-frame animation graffiti style. Very neat! Artist's website is www.blublu.org

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Lonely Piles of Money - Boycott the RIAA

Look who’s wearing the big-boy pants now!
No more
—mother may I.
I want.
I take.
I the RIAA.

Hey there that sure is a nice laptop; my six thousand dollar poodle could use that to watch you tube videos of itself riding in the backseat of my Escalade while I’m in court suing some other sap for making a mix tape for his girlfriend. It’s gimmie all your stuff, and I’ll have the local cops take it for me, so I never see you cry; not that I’d care.

I’m the RIAA; you see, I don’t care about people, only money. Only money. It’s not my fault; it’s just that my piles and piles of money (made from the sweat of other people with real talent) are lonely. That’s right my money is lonely, so I need yours and your computer, and your house, just because you only like that one Black Crowes song and didn’t want to buy the album for it (where I get 90% of the profits).

I found my news here:

www.boingboing.net/

tailrank.com/

And from
tech.blorge.com/ the following is quoted:

"The RIAA sued 83 year old Gertrude Walton. When they sent the letter stating that they were going to sue unless Mrs. Walton chose to settle, her daughter received the letter as part of her mother’s estate. She sent the RIAA a copy of her mother’s death certificate. The RIAA sued her mother anyway. Apparently when the case went to court the RIAA had to accept the fact that Mrs. Walton was indeed dead.

In the case of Patricia Santangelo, a divorced mother of three, the RIAA lost that case because Ms. Santangelo successfully proved her own computer illiteracy. The Judge dismissed the case. The RIAA then chose to sue her three children.

Unfortunately, another single mother, Jamie Thomas, was found guilty by a jury who set damages for her to pay at $222,000 or $9250 per song. A single mother who sells lingerie, there is no way that Ms. Thomas has the funds currently to pay this exorbitant amount. There is very little chance that she will ever be able to pay the damage award. Ms. Thomas has appealed the damages as being excessive. The Department of Justice has filed an Amicus brief arguing that the verdict amount is not excessive and should stand."

For all you drummers out there

Muppet Show - Drum Battle Buddy Rich Vs Animal

Korgoth of Barbaria

This is a pilot made for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim that wasn't picked up, and I have no idea why. It is one of the funniest damn 30 minutes of cartoons I've seen in a long time. Yeah, I watch a lot of cartoons, so what?!
I'm a grown up! I'll watch what I want.
Watch it you'll laugh. Really.
I'm not kidding you...

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



You laughed didn't you; I told you.

Creation vs. Evolution

Last year I had to write an extra final paper in a class to ensure an "A" and I did a lot of research on the Scopes Trial. If you don't know it was a trial testing the Butler Act in Tennessee that disallowed the teaching of any theory in contradiction of the Bible's theory of human creation. You can read a nice write up on Wikipedia Scopes_Trial.

After doing a lot of research, I decided to write about a topic that I know better and that was how and where St. Thomas Aquinas 'borrowed' his five proofs for the existence of God from Aristotle's writings. You can read my paper "Aquinas' Five Ways".
However, continuing with creationism, it has a long history in our legal system of which I was unaware. You can find a nice list here: Creationism-related_court_cases
The one that made the biggest impression on me was not the most recent; (at the writing of this the Kansas evolution hearings were the most recent)
It was the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial.

Before reading the Wikipedia write up, I watched the NOVA documentary (on PBS) on this trial and was amazed. Watch it if you have time. I've always been a skeptic about most things. In my formative years, my father always had a saying that captured the lesson in every bad choice of mine; some were original some borrowed. For instance, "If it sounds too good to be true; it isn't," and one of the one's I heard the most was, "I'm from Missouri; show me." That one I heard when I was trying to tell him about the theory of Quarks from particle physics. Well, I couldn't and can't. Hell, I tried to become a physicist in college and couldn't hack the math.

Anyway, the science presented in the NOVA documentary is incredibly detailed, effectively proving the theory of evolution; for me, it was the equivalent of 'being shown' . Check it out for yourself and then see if a book rewritten several times and translated into several languages is proof enough for you.
Believing is nice; it is comforting, but I want the truth. Believing in magic is cute, but don't bet your life on it; you will be disappointed.
I will acknowledge the possibility that what science has discovered could be the work and plan of a God. The old watch winder that set this whole process of evolution in motion. We okay? We cool like Fonzie?
Well, if that still works for you, complicating the idea to save your precious little ego, then check out a little idea called Ockham's Razor.

Back to the reason for addressing this topic, recently a movie was produced called "Expelled." It is the creationist (now called Intelligent Design or ID for short) view of 'it all'. I heard about this movie on one of my favorite podcasts called "The Skeptics Guide to the Universe" (Podcast #140 3/26/2008) the hosts interviewed Eugenie Scott and she told a story of some very non-Christian treatments from the movie's representatives in asking her for interviews. She asked that people link to this site http://www.expelledexposed.com/
as a way to get the word out. When people search for the movie this site will be ranked highly.
Hypocrisy pisses me off. If you call yourself a Christian then act like one; don't use the cop-out of forgiveness or that non-Christians don't deserve Christian treatment (chicken pox blankets ring a bell?). You should be good, honest, and respectful now and to all (or shove it and go to Hell).
Oh and did I mention that Ben Stein (once considered an intelligent person) is involved with the movie. Sigh...
Poor guy...

Dennis Leary takes us for a visit to the rehab...

Let's all watch, and don't miss the lesson.

Michael Pollan: The omnivore's next dilemma.
Just listen, and find out that plants are really controlling us. <pun>intended</pun>

Two blogs worth noting

"The Skeptics Guide to the Universe is a weekly Podcast talkshow produced by the New England Skeptical Society (NESS) in association with the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) : discussing the latest news and topics from the world of the paranormal, fringe science, and controversial claims from a scientific point of view."


Astronomy Cast -- "Take a weekly facts-based journey through the cosmos with Astronomy Cast."

The Little Trees of Vaughn Banting

Vaughn Banting's Home Page

His Trees
I'm talking amazing Bonsai here people!

Salute!

Seam Carving for Content-Aware Image Resizing

Holy Crap!
Shai Avidan & Ariel Shamir have created software that is straight out of a scifi movie. Have you ever wanted to remove an ex-boy/girl friend from a great travel photo? Here you go: iSeam


Utterly brilliant gentlemen:
Ariel Shamir's home page
Shai Avidan's home page

Art of Creatures

Theo Jansen is an amazing Dutch artist. He creates creatures out of wood and twine of the like you've not see unless you are familiar with his work.
He gave a TED talk March 2007

Remember the Tooth

Do your tech a favor...
Remember Your Password!

http://www.wikihow.com/Remember-Your-Password

and "Remember the Tooth"

Crazy Towing

We are Crazy Towing and we tow like crazy.
Your neighbor parked to close to your house and is killing your grass?
Call us and we tow it like crazy!
Your daughter's boyfriend's piece of shit car is in your driveway and you don't like how it looks?
Call us and we tow it like crazy!
Want to screw with your friend's car and move it while they're in a bar drinking?
Call us and we tow it like crazy!

Remember that's Crazy Towing call 555-T-O-W-D
that's 555-8693
Crazy Towing when you want it towed like CRAZY!