Plurib.us

Long, but skim-able interview with a Wikipedia Germany old-timer, admin, and board member.

blog.outer-court.com/archive/2007-0...

I know too much about the "hobbit" skull to not follow the stories.
- They're starting another expedition to the original cave soon.
- The debate is over whether these are a new species or not.  (If they are, it would upset current theories about human evolution.)
- This scientist has some evidence that they are a new species.

theregister.co.uk/2007/01/30/flo...

No one can explain why Saturn is so hot.

theregister.co.uk/2007/01/29/sat...

A long list combining book titles and band names:

The Modest Mouse and the Motorcycle
Horton Hears The Who
Motley Crüsoe
The Agony and the XTC
Everything but the Girl Is Illuminated

coudal.com/bookingbands.p...

Here is an SVG image I've been working on in my spare time.  I like to think of it as "art".  I was wanting to write some things about general browser support for SVG, but that will have to wait until a later date.

plurib.us/1shot/2007/squ...

Hmm... genetically modified crops could help to reduce "world hunger".
earthtrends.wri.org/updates/node/1...

I've always been a little skeptical about the electronic waste problem.  However, this map shows the US has 1 computer for every 2 people!
earthtrends.wri.org/updates/node/1...

Holy cats.  The US executive has now decided that they should have some sort of judicial oversight re: warrantless wiretaps. From a letter from Gonzales:

In the spring of 2005-well before the first press account disclosing the existence of the Terrorist Surveillance Program-the administration began exploring options for seeking such FISA court appeal.

They were tapping phones with impunity starting in 2001, and now say that 4 YEARS LATER, without external pressure, they thought that maybe they should try to follow the rules? 

Moreover, the new court providing "judicial oversight" is secret.  Sweet.  No longer will your phones be monitored at the whim of the Executive--now, a nameless responsibility-free secret court must approve it.  Awesome.

talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/nsa-doj-s...
apnews.myway.com//article/20070...
cbsnews.com/stories/2007/0...

Eight-year time lapse of stars orbiting the center of the Milky Way.

antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070114....

Roomba is releasing a Roomba without the vacuum, for robot hobbyists.
robotgossip.blogspot.com/2007/01/irobot...

Giant unappealing flower evolved from tiny flowers.  (w/ pic)
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/n...

There aren't many websites this extreme:
worlds-highest-website.com/

Except for this:
plurib.us/1shot/2007/wor...

Canadian dollars found with embedded radio transmitters.  Spy technique?

theregister.co.uk/2007/01/11/can...

Hypothesis for microbial life on Mars.

spaceref.com/news/viewpr.ht...

Watch It Shred: Movies of objects run through an industrial shredder:

ssiworld.com/watch/watch-en...

Via J-Walk, some information on goats who like to stand in trees:

blog.moment.ee/2007/01/viljad...
the-tree.org.uk/SpecialBranch/...

I am going to have to revise my opinion of goats.

Amazon founder reveals his spacecraft with first launch video.

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technolog...

Full text of every State of the Union address:

stateoftheunion.onetwothree.net/texts/index.ht...

An innocent question.  Ideas.  Ideas questioned.  An argument, nipped in the bud.  Another close call, saved by the internet.

Can hot water freeze faster than cold water?:
math.ucr.edu/home/baez/phys...

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith--the Chinese version, dubbed in English.  "Revenge of the Sith" is translated as "The Backstroke of the West," and the "Jedi Council" is "The Presbyterian Church."

antibody.za.net/new/index.php?...

From Eight to Two Hundred and Two--The first thousand numbers in alphabetical order:

blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2006/...

The Worst Album Covers of All Time:

coverbrowser.com/covers/worst-a...

"Women's Empowerment Critical to Helping Children"

earthtrends.wri.org/updates/node/1...

Thunderbird 2 (still in beta) is getting a long-overdue look & feel update.  (new visual metaphores: /fire/ for junk mail, and /star/ instead of a flag?  How am I going to flag my e-mails now?)

informationweek.com/story/showArti...

Also, Digg(.com) redesigned.  They made double level nav tabs (top) look surprisingly simple.

Weird things happen on the internet, but weirder things happen in real life:

The world's tallest man has saved two dolphins by using his long arms to reach into their stomachs and pull out dangerous plastic shards.

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-paci...

Further warnings regarding the new Nintendo Wii:

Also, Nintendo reminds players that Wii nunchuks are not actual nunchuks, and are not approved by the American Karate Association for tournament use.

themorningnews.org/archives/spoof...

The American Humane Association reviews the movie "Snakes on a Plane".  As you might expect, it's concerned entirely with the treatment of the animals rather than the quality of the movie.  There are some really neat descriptions of how certain parts were filmed.

In addition to the special effects snakes, live snakes were used in a chaotic scene where the slithery menaces fall from oxygen masks and luggage compartments in the main cabin. Trainers hidden on top of the plane body dropped several snakes through PVC tubes installed in the cabin ceiling down onto the seats below. Sylvester coached all stunt people and extras on how to respond to these surprise drop-ins without making careless movements while pretending to be terrified.

ahafilm.info/movies/mr.phtm...

The Florida Meat Goat Association. 

The Florida Meat Goat Association is a very important part of the meat goat industry in Florida by its continued efforts with promoting meat from goats and other products from meat goats as a viable commodity.

fmga.org/

Mountain ranges discovered and imaged on Titan.

saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press-rel...

Turtles apparently don't age.  Or, they age really slowly.

nytimes.com/2006/12/12/sci...

There are certain things which should never have been created, or, failing that, should be created only once.  This site catalogs those failures of nonexistence in the field of knitting.

stitchymcyarnpants.com/moks06/

(I just realized that I really want to own amiknitornot.com)