Enthusiastically Ambiverted Hopepunk
Confidential to T-Mobile: NASA is downloading 36 MB TIFFs from Mars and I only get 2 bars of signal on my cell phone inside my house. Please look into upgrading.
— stevenf, via BoingBoing (who also point out an incredible full-screen Quicktime VR of Mars from the Spirit rover)
iTunes: “Djvd” by Nitzer Ebb from the album Ebbhead (1991, 4:20).
Last August, one of Anil‘s “Daily Links” was to a story about the Olsen Twins somewhat risqué Rolling Stone photo shoot. When he linked to it, the tooltip he put on the link was, “298 days, you pervert”.
Today, he linked to a story about the Olsen Twins going to NYU. The tooltip he used this time was, “the answer is 152 days, you pervert”.
If it weren’t for Anil so kindly keeping track of things like this, I’d never know just when the twins were due to turn 18.
I’m not sayin’.
I’m just sayin’.
iTunes: “Happiness (Dub)” by Front 242 from the album Mut\@ge.Mix\@ge (1995, 6:10).
It’s so nice to live in a time when every news article about Apple doesn’t involve some form of doom and gloom predictions. Not only have the “Apple is doomed” proclamations died down, things just keep getting better — even in markets historically far outside of Apple’s domain.
What’s stunning isn’t that Apple Computer Inc.’s engineers can, say, design a server with two 2-GHz G5 processors, 1GB of memory, storage capacity of 80 to 750GB and loads of other goodies all in a slim 1U package (a mere 1.75-in. thick). No, what’s stunning is that Apple’s marketers will price the Xserve system at \$3,999. That makes the long-reputed price-gouging Macintosh maker the price leader for dual-CPU servers by a couple of bucks. But when you add in Windows per-client pricing, the savings become huge. Apple sells its systemswith no per-client fees for Mac OS X. In contrast, a 25-user enterprise license for Windows adds \$2,495 to the price of a dual-processor PowerEdge 1750 server from Dell Inc.
(via MacSlash)
iTunes: “God Part II” by U2 from the album Rattle and Hum (1988, 3:15).
This has got to be one of the most inventive (and stupid) ways I’ve heard of yet to try to score some free computer parts:
German police are investigating after an angry man returned a computer he had just bought saying it was packed with small potatoes instead of computer parts.
The store replaced the computer free of charge but became suspicious when he returned a short time later with another potato-filled computer casing, police in the western city of Kaiserslautern said on Monday.
“The second time he said he didn’t need a computer any more and asked for his money back in cash,” a police spokesman said.
Police are now investigating the man for fraud.
(via Neil Gaiman)
iTunes: “Voodoo People” by Prodigy, The from the album Hackers (1994, 4:08).
Tim’s got a handy list of ways to tell whether you’re at a restaurant or a bar:
If your napkin feels like linen, it’s a restaurant. If your napkin feels like the Yellow Pages, it’s a bar.
If you need reservations, it’s a restaurant. If you have reservations about admitting where you were till 2 a.m., it’s a bar.
Good thing, too, I’m constantly getting confused.
iTunes: “Brain Washers” by Blackalicious feat. Harper, Ben from the album Blazing Arrow (2002, 6:22).
I’m exhausted this morning, for no particular reason whatsoever that I can think of. Slapped the alarm for about an hour after it went off, and it was still a chore to drag myself out of bed.
The weekend was fairly uneventful — mostly just kicking back here at home, bouncing around the ‘net and importing a ton of CDs back into the computer. Nothing really overly stressful. I think this is just “one of those mornings.”
Hit the Vogue Saturday and Sunday night. The more Sundays I go, the more I think I prefer them over Saturdays.
Saturdays (and Fridays) are a mix of 80’s, 90’s and modern new-wave, gothic, and industrial, and Sundays are the club’s “Fetish Night”, with similar but slightly darker music. The biggest difference is that Fridays and Saturdays are more “tourist friendly” — there are definitely the regulars each night, but there are also a lot of the people who either just come by occasionally or are “straights” coming to get a taste of the scene. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that at all — most of the time the “tourists” aren’t too bad, it’s rare that they get overly obnoxious or offensive, and some of them actually seem to really get a kick out of the atmosphere and the music, even if it’s all new to them. It’s just that the club often gets incredibly hot and crowded. I’m usually not overly tweaked by crowds, especially in dance clubs, but I ended up leaving early on Saturday when it got to be too much for me.
Sundays, as the “Fetish Night,” are rapidly becoming my favorite night. It’s not nearly as crowded, which is probably due to a combination of it being a Sunday night (and many people have to be up early on Mondays to get to work) and the theme itself. The music is a bit darker and outfits tend to be a bit more extreme — it’s not at all rare to see people (men and women both) in little more than chaps and leather studded g-strings, “schoolgirl” outfits, bondage gear, etc. — which can be seen as extreme enough that it doesn’t lend itself to a “tourist” atmosphere. I’ve never had a problem with things like this, myself, while I don’t have any outfits along those lines in my wardrobe (I tend to neither be that flashy nor have the budget to indulge in outfits like that), I often enjoy the look of them, and many of the clubgoers are wonderful to watch (whether it be because of their personal attractiveness, their style of dress, the way they dance, or any combination of those). All in all, it’s a more relaxed night, and I’m enjoying it more each time I go.
I’ll likely not entirely cease hitting the Vogue on Saturday nights, as there are definitely times I like the busier, bustling atmosphere of a weekend night, and the slightly “pop”-ier music gets some songs in that I like dancing to that are less likey to show up on a Sunday night. However, if I had to choose just one night to hit the club on any given week, Sundays would definitely be my choice.
iTunes: “Godhead” by Nitzer Ebb from the album Ebbhead (1991, 4:29).
It was extremely unusual for a Foy to be dying on earth. They were the highest social class on their planet (which had a name that was pronounced — as nearly as earthly throats could make the sounds — Sortibackenstrete) and were virtually immortal.
Every Foy, of course, came to a voluntary death eventually, and this one had given up because of an ill-starred love affair, if you can call it a love affair where five individuals, in order to reproduce, must indulge in a yearlong mental contact. Apparently, the Foy had not fit into the contact after several months of trying, and it had broken his heart — or hearts, for he had five.
All Foys had five large hearts and there was speculation that it was this that made them virtually immortal.
Maude Briscoe, earth’s most renowned surgeon, wanted those hearts. “It can’t be just their number and size, Ray,” she said to her chief assistant. “It has to be something physiological or biochemical. I must have them.”
“I don’t know if we can manage that,” said Ray Johnson. “I’ve been speaking to him earnestly, trying to overcome the Foy taboo against dismemberment after death. I’ve had to lie to him, Maude.”
“Lie?”
“I told him that after death, there would be a dirge sung for him by the world-famous choir led by Harold J. Gassenbaum. I told him that, by earthly belief, this would mean that his astral essence would be instantaneously wafted back, through hyperspace, to his home planet of Sortib-what’s-it’s-name — provided he would sign a release allowing you, Maude, to have his hearts for scientific investigation.”
“Don’t tell me he believed that.”
“Well, you know this modern attitude about accepting the myths and beliefs of intelligent aliens. It wouldn’t have been polite for him not to believe me. Besides, the Foys have a profound admiration for earthly science and I think this one is a little flattered that we should want his hearts. He promised to consider the suggestion and I hope he decides soon because he can’t live more than another, day or so, and we must have his permission by interstellar law, and the hearts must be fresh — Ah, his signal.”
Ray Johnson moved in with smooth and noiseless speed. “Yes?” he whispered, unobtrusively turning on the holographic recording device in case the Foy wished to grant permission.
The Foy’s large, gnarled, rather tree like body lay motionless on the bed. His bulging eyes palpitated — all five of them — as they rose, each on its stalk, and turned toward Ray. The Foy’s voice had a strange tone and the lipless edges of his open round mouth did not move, but the words formed perfectly. His eyes were making the Foyan gestures of assent as he said, “Give my big hearts to Maude, Ray. Dismember me for Harold’s choir. Tell all the Foys on Sortibackenstretethat I will soon be there.”
Isaac Asimov has long been one of my favorite writers. In addition to writing incredibly good science fiction, he could also craft nonfiction scientific essays that were just as interesting to read, a rare gift in any writer. And, of course, he had an absolutely wicked sense of humor and a great love for bad puns.
I just had to share after finding this one. :)
(via MetaFilter)
I’m just saving this for myself for future design possibilities… The script that goes in the head:
<script type="text/javascript">
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// toggle visibility
function toggle( targetId ){
if (document.getElementById){
target = document.getElementById( targetId );
if (target.style.display == "none"){
target.style.display = "";
} else {
target.style.display = "none";
}
}
}
-->
</script>
Sample code showing usage:
<h3>Blogs I Read <a href="#" onclick="toggle('outside2');return false;" title="Toggle BlogRoll">(show/hide)</a></h3>
<div id="outside2">
<h1><a href="http://www.google.com" title="google.">Google Search</a><br />
<a href="http://www.google.com" title="google.">Google Search</a></h1>
<div class="dailyphoto"><!--#include virtual="/daily/dailyphoto.inc"--></div>
</div>
<h3>Blogs I Read <a href="#" onclick="toggle('outside3');return false;" title="Toggle BlogRoll">(show/hide)</a></h3>
<div id="outside3">
<h1><a href="http://www.google.com" title="google.">Google Search</a><br />
<a href="http://www.google.com" title="google.">Google Search</a></h1>
<div class="dailyphoto"><!--#include virtual="/daily/dailyphoto.inc"--></div>
</div></div>
(via Joel Blain)
iTunes: “World, The” by Quest from the album Essential Chillout (2000, 4:17).
So — what’s more likely?
That while trying to install and figure out the image-processing software that came with their new digital camera, a husband and wife accidentally opened the husbands previously hidden stash of downloaded porn, or…
That after purchasing a brand-new digital camera, taking a few pictures, and plugging it into their computer, a husband and wife discovered that there were a number of pornographic images already on the camera when they bought it?
An investigation has begun after a couple found pornographic pictures on a new digital camera they had bought.
Jackie and Eammon Gall, from Greater Manchester, discovered the explicit shots in the memory of the camera soon after they bought it for £400 at Argos.
[…]
[Mr. Gall] told BBC GMR: \”When we discovered the pictures, I was trying to get rid of them straight away, because that was my instant reaction.
\”Then for whatever reason the pictures then became part of the desktop and filled up the whole screen.
“Then I started to panic, thinking the pictures would perhaps go anywhere else on the computer that they shouldn’t.”
I know you’re not supposed to snicker at people. But come on…
(via Need to Know)
iTunes: “Child In Us, The” by Enigma from the album Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! (1996, 5:06).
New tagline for the blog went up today. Inspiration should be blatantly obvious (at least if you’re into early 90’s one-hit wonders). ;)
Besides, I was bored.
This did, however, inspire some new shirts now available for sale through CafePress:
To the left, the “I’m too sexy for my blog” t-shirt. Let your ego go wild, show of just how good you are! You deserve it!
And on the right, for those people who don’t deserve to be graced by your presence — the “I’m too sexy for your blog” t-shirt! Face it, some blogs just aren’t worth your time. Don’t be shy about it — announce it to the world!
Or not.
You know.
Whatever. ;)
I just do these things because they amuse me.
iTunes: “I’m Too Sexy (Catwalk)” by Right Said Fred from the album I’m Too Sexy (1991, 7:51).