Go see. (Via Peking Duck)
Category: ASIDES
The Eggman Says Kids Were “Egging the Congressman On”?
Oh, I see. Drudge says that the kids were egging on the pedophile Congressman. Well, he is a Republican, so it must be the kids’ fault. Excuse me while I go vomit.
North Korea Plans to Test Nuclear Weapon
Oh, greeeeeeeeat.
Documentary on Disbelief
After a long silence, the exxcellent Marvin of The Electric Smack Shack has posted links to Jonathan Miller’s wonderful documentary A Rough History of Disbelief, which apparently is available on Google video. Highly recommended.
“What A Terrorist Incident in Ancient Rome Can Teach Us” and Thoughts from George Soros
This New York Times piece deals fascinatingly with the parallels between the fall of Rome and what’s happened in the government of the US since 9-11. (Via Shawn Scarber, Insurgent Fantasist) UPDATE: Ritu also posted something along vaguely similar critical lines (though without thoughts of the ancient world), something written by George Soros.
Viridian links
Worthwhile links from the most recent Viridian Note: rubber sidewalks, making fuel from CO2, and evidence of the acceleration of the melting of the ice on Greenland. I worry that no matter what, everything is indeed falling apart. We humans are just stupid enough to keep pushing for cash until the world collapses, I sometime think.
Wiffiti…
Some crazy tech application going on here. Text messages from your phone to screen displays in a bunch of places across the States. Can’t message from Korea, though. Digitally, and telephonically, still somewhat of a Hermit Kingdom. I remember while in India seeing my friend Ritu getting txt messages on her phone from senders abroad, and being quite envious. (Via MissIzzy)
이지로보틱스
If ever there was a good example of what my students’ writing looked like at ym old University, it’s here: 이지로보틱스 Repeat after me: Machine translation doesn’t work. Machine translation doesn’t work. I’ll let you know when it does work. Till then, keep repeating that phrase to yourselves. (via Culture list)
The Slave Register?!?!?
So, I go online searching for any information at all about where to ge a kneeling chair or kneeling stool (like this one) within Korea. I haven’t a clue, and most of the furniture places I’ve been only carry standard chairs. So anyway, what do I happen across? A post (I’m not even going to link to it) at The Slave Register. What’s that, you ask? Why, it’s a bulletin board for people who are WILLING SLAVES. You know, like the awful Goreans (as in “fans of Gor”, not “Koreans” misspelled) that I posted about long ago? Idiots. Really, really, …
Last Ditch Effort?
Viridian Note 00474: Climate and Civilization from the Viridian mailing list raises an interesting question first asked by Nick Brooks: why did what we call “civilization” seem to arise during periods of increased aridity? Maybe the emergence of an urban, specialized civilization wasn’t a product of a world of plenty, but instead, a desperate attempt to cling to survival? Check out Brook’s paper on the subject.