31/07/04
Marcus:
Internet radio becomes interactively useful: "Last.fm builds up a profile of your music taste by recording what music you like. Last.fm then calculates which people are the most similar to you, based on shared music taste. With this information Last.fm can play you new artists and songs you might like."
Marcus:
A wiki for teachers to share lesson plans on. As a soon-to-be trainee ICT teacher, I think this is a cool idea, although there's nothing contributed for computers yet. (Via kottke.org.)
dave: That's a great idea. Looks like you need to make a new friend here and share your lesson plans boy-o. Although this could turn into a place where teachers copy each others work. Sounds a bit hypocritical to me. Can you imagine your worst school teacher coming to a lesson, hungover, reading a lesson plan that they didn't write? Hmmm.
Marcus: Heh. Welcome to the wonderful world of education short cuts, dear boy. ;)
30/07/04
Marcus:
A transcript from a 2001 BBC radio show featuring Will Self versus Richard Littlejohn. Funniest thing I've read in ages.
Justin: LITTLEJOHN: Well, you can't comment until you have read the other 200.
SELF: Why? Does it suddenly turn into Tolstoy?
29/07/04
Justin:
I love a bit of all that 'Mysteries of the Gods'/Von Daniken's theory malarky. Here is some more of it.
Marcus: Bah, it was all down to some French anthropologist telling them about Sirius. I thought there might be something in it.
Justin: It may have been. They certainly new about the concept of one star being heavier than the other though.
Marcus:
Transcript of Michael Moore versus Bill O'Reilly "debate" on Fux News.
Justin: "OK, well look you cant kill everybody." - I think MM could have come over slightly better in this, especially over the intelligence issue. It makes you realise that our Butler Report and Hutton Report must look so much more tangible over there, while over here we think it's a whitewash.
Marcus: Yes, they both come off equally childish. Which is a shame, because Bill O'Reilly is America's answer to Richard Littlejohn, only even more of a loony, so it wouldn't be too hard to take him apart with some well-reasoned arguments. I don't think Michael Moore is the best choice as a poster boy for the thinking-things-through-properly movement.
Marcus: Hello, this is Marcus from 2007. Unfortunately, the web being the amnesiac it is, the original Drudge Report link is no longer available. You'll have to do with this (partial) Fox News transcript. Until that disappears too.
Marcus:
For the Buffalo Bill in your life who wants to accessorize: bags made out of human skin. Just don't tell them the material is synthetic; it might be put into a pit and told to rub the lotion on its body, or else it gets the hose again.
Justin: That is f*cking awful, thank god it's synthetic.
Marcus: Admit it - you're interested.
Marcus:
GMail app for Windows that claims to replicate all of GMail's web-based functionality and more.
Marcus:
The Batman Begins trailer is up. Ooh, dark.
Justin: No way, another decent Batman movie, I thought the day would never come. Here's a question though: why do people otherwise insist on buying the rights to The Dark Knight and always turn him into some gay Kitsch story? jesus Hollywood is full of ponces. The crap 60's series, and all Batman movies after the first two - no, scratch that, even the first to were an interesting juxtaposition of dark gothic imagery versus the camp. Why though? The comics aren't like that. Why? Tell me why??? Anyway, there are some decent stars in this - "Don't you point your bloody Batarang at me."
Marcus: Wish I knew. The Adam West 60s Batman was definitely in a camp world of its own. They always seemed to show it as early morning kids' TV when I were a nipper, especially in school holidays - not any more though eh? I reckon Christian Bale could well be the best Batman since Michael Keaton - he showed promise in Equilibrium.
28/07/04
Marcus:
A DVD boxed set of the complete Dungeons & Dragons cartoon series is to be released on 18th October. Hey look, a Dungeons and Dragons ride! Uni! Bwaaah! (etc)
Justin: Let's never forget how stupid the plots to children's TV programmes are though. I watched a D&D cartoon a while back and what it lacks in decent animation it doesn't make up for with story.
And I just watched Troy, that was sh*t.
Marcus:
From the guy who brought you the emergency advice parody site: The Jim'll Fix It Badge Maker. Probably only of interest to British people in their mid-twenties to late thirties - but oh, the nostalgic joy!
Dave:
Are you an ideal target for phishing? Take this test to find out. I got 9 out of 10 which was disappointing. I'm not going to use email anymore.
Dave:
If you only look at one link that I post today. then make it this one. It's the government's advice on preparing for emergencies.
Marcus: Brilliant, and not to be confused with the official government website. Definitely to be compared and contrasted, though. Apparently the Government is Not Amused at the parody.
Dave:
I really can't wait for this game. Not only are you going to be able to shoot stuff, it seems that it's physics engine puts Albert Einstein to shame.
dave: Of course it might also just be a load of bollocks :)
Marcus: One day I'll own a new PC, and on that day, probably about a decade in the future, I will be able to play Half Life 2. Which will be rubbish by then. So I shall mock it thoroughly.
Dave:
Feeling intelluctual? Then check out the public's "Street Life" photos over at BBC. I like 6 and 9. I voted for 9.
Marcus:
Scathing piece in The Register about Digital Rights Management spreading to mobile phones via iTunes.
27/07/04
Marcus:
Sir Laurence Olivier is to play the main bad guy in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, a mere 15 years after his death. The guy's got talent.
justin: Is that even legal?
Marcus: I suspect that an individual's right to their own image ceases after their death, although maybe his estate owns it and has cleared it. Slightly weird thing to do, anyway.
Justatos: It's not just his face though - apaprently it's his acting presence as well, whatever they may be doing, like motion capturing it or putting him in different clothes etc. Is expression in that context his, or the film owners fromwhere the clips are taken? Probably the latter I guess.
26/07/04
Justin:
Sorry Dave, but by far the best Flash game author out there is Ferry Halim. All of his work is beautiful. I just saw one of his latest, Wake, and was impressed. Also, Starry Night is for people who have ever thought themselves skilful for deftly being able to keep a balloon afloat in the air; Windy Days is a personal favorite as is Bubble Bee. I defy anyone not to be touched by these games
Dave:
From the same guy as the grow game is this wierd tree thingy where you make the trees grow. Don't let them touch the sides though!! My highest is 17.3 but I'm at work so I've only had a few goes :)
Justin: I got to 27.3 on my second go, once I sussed out how to do it, I must admit, the thing that got me was boredom. Full marks for originality, but I think the time where you have to pick up the pace comes a bit too late to make me want to play a game. I played that other thing a while ago - I couldn't suss it out so I started throwing my monitor around the room.
Dave:
Virus warning! If you get and email about Bin Laden's suicide, don't open it. Also, for the benefit of the tape, Arnie has NOT been terminated.
Dave:
This is very very strange, it seems that putting the things on in different orders gets different results.
25/07/04
Marcus:
Still images taken from Trey Parker and Matt Stone's new Thunderbirds spoof movie, Team America.
Marcus:
Whoopi Goldberg's Slimfast commercials are withdrawn after she makes a joke elsewhere about keeping Bush out of the Whitehouse. Interestingly scary climate of corporate-sponsored political censorship in the US at the moment. Glad I don't live there.
justin - owner of a badass new phone: "We are disappointed by the manner in which Ms Goldberg chose to express herself and sincerely regret that her recent remarks offended some of our consumers," said the Slim-Fast general manager, Terry Olson. So noone told them she was quite a foul mouthed comic then? or did they just assume their money would silence her. Fat c*nts.
dave: LOL "Hey fatty, I got a film for ya, A Fridge Too Far!"
Marcus:
Full-on pub and restaurant smoking bans in the UK are going to be gradually phased in, most likely over the next ten years.
justin: Whenever something happens to me I don't like, I hear the sullen, screaming voice of that Ewok who had to look over the body of his fallen comrade after it was stepped on by an AT-ST.
justin: I clearly posted that last comment in the wrong section. But you can imagine the voice of my own embarassment is going "aaaaahhhh" like that Ewok. That Ewok was there when the sh*t went down.
Marcus: I just thought you were angrily depressed about smoking bans in UK pubs. I'm sure smokers across the country will be doing the "fallen Ewok lament" at this news.
Marcus:
The new Star Wars movie will be called Revenge of the Sith. Finally, a cool name!
Marcus: You can already pre-order a T-shirt with the new film's logo from starwars.com. Mmm, capitalism.
Marcus: Also, those live-action Ewok movies I have distant but happy childhood memories of watching are being released on DVD.
Marcus: And the Ewoks cartoons. Bee-chihuahua!
24/07/04
Marcus:
A history of the War of 1812. Fought between America on one side, and Britain and Canada on the other (and with help from the Indians!), it's something that I've never really encountered much about before, and I do wonder at the reasons for that. Engrossing reading.
Marcus:
"How to tell if you're an American". Definitely worth comparing and contrasting with "How to tell if you're English".
Marcus:
Basement Jaxx's video for their new single Cish Cash, featuring a woman directing tanks and fighter jets to march and dance around. (Via 2lmc.org.)
Marcus:
An 80s electronic funk-style version of the Transformers theme tune, with a Flash video of Soundwave and Rumble(?) breakdancing. Awesome!
Marcus:
William Shatner has a new album out that includes collaberations with Ben Folds, Lemon Jelly and Henry Rollins. It also includes a cover of Pulp's Common People, available to hear online in WMA and QuickTime formats. (Not for the faint of heart.)
Marcus:
Fleep is a comic strip about a guy trapped in a telephone booth that's been surrounded by concrete. Inventive stuff.
Justin:
More news on that Linda Rondstadt thing where she dedicated 'Desperado' to Michael Moore. Apparently there has been some bad journalism on the internet again! Anyway, some of this is interesting.
Justin:
I was reading a story about Stephen Hawking on BBC news and then I discovered something we might not have known about the cheeky cripple. "He often paid tribute to his wife, who had looked after him for 26 years, so friends and relatives were shocked when he left her for one of his nurses, whom he married in 1995. " there'sa picture of him on his wedding day with his new wife. Justin says: Unless he has a vibration setting on his robo-suit the wedding night couldn't have been that exciting.
Marcus: You are a bad man.
23/07/04
Justin:
I swear I would have invented this if someone had just asked me. A way of reading old recording media that is too frail to be played.
Marcus: Brilliant. Really looking forward to hearing some of this stuff.
Marcus:
Bonkers mysognyistic UK Independence Party MEP with a seat on the women's rights committee says he's interested in women's rights because "I just don't think they clean behind the fridge enough". My favourite quote is from the Liberal MEP who says "It looks like it's time for a ride back to the 1950s on the UKIP time machine, to the golden age of women's rights and opportunities."
justin: Well, I suppose he is representing the wimmin livin' in Britain that aren't ball busting career chasers, who are domestic types, so I suppose there is a need for it. Anyway, we should stop taking it as a given that the rights and privileges everyone asks for should be granted.... where is a man's right to choose between a career and a baby? Doesn't exist. Men need women to have babies, women do not need men.
Marcus: Er, quite. For my money though, he's a clueless nutter. I hate to think what he'd be saying if he was on the commission for racial equality.
22/07/04
Justin:
Although I am a software/music/film pirate I don't see what I am doing as right. Legal copyright laws may be far too strict but that does not justify me taking something without charge. On the other hand this UK ruling on chipped Playstations is unfair. It says that it is illegal to use, make or sell modification chips to circumvent regional protection. I don't see how it violates intellectual copyright - the box belongs to you, and if you want to stick anything inside it you should be able to. By this logic smearing dog faeces on a CD is intellectual copyright infringement as well.
Marcus: They already did this in America a fair old while ago. Big business always triumphs over the rights of the individual.
Dave:
Monkey see monkey do
justin: Well, having seen 'Planet of the Apes' I say we just exterminate them all now.
Marcus: Reminds me of a documentary I saw on Discovery recently about an ape called Oliver who also walked exclusively on his hind legs.
21/07/04
Justin:
Linda Rondstadt (whoever she is) splits the crowd by dedicating the Eagles song 'Desperado' to Michael Moore. Here. Apparently though, half the crowd didn;t like it abnd started streaming towards the exits. Justin says: How can you be so f*cking pro-bush that you have to leave a concert you paid for? Apart from the war, Bush has f*cked everything else up anyway. I bet people are just so gutted that they backed a dud they ae suddenly getting all jingoistic about supporting their leader etc. Bloody hell, it's a democracy, perhaps the most important one of all, and if people can't express their political opinions through whatever means, and other people put their fingers in their ears and go "la la la", then what the f*ck is going on? I don't see how rubbishing a politician should invite such anger... indifference maybe, but outright anger? Something is totally not right.
Marcus: This recent BBC News article says it best - if you're a pro-Bush musician, that's just fine, but exercise your right to criticise at your peril. And this is Elton John saying this, for crying out loud.
Justin:
Things were changing quite alot by the time I left the Tang Academy, but in many ways they got better. This link is the video page and shows some of the interesting acrobatics Master Eldon began to teach and practice. Truly amazing stuff - look at Marpossa. Here is the club I train at now. Not to dissimilar to the Tang Soo Do style of Taekwondo I practiced before, before Master Eldon started going Hollywood on us. Here is an interesting history of Korean martial arts and how they parallel with Okinawan ones.
Marcus: Wax on, wax off.
justin: Master Eldon's catchphrases would be "slow slow slow.... superfast!", "same arm same leg", "OK, gamain, chotso, relax" & "go practice" - "go practice" was good because it weas the end of the lesson. Thank Jesus.
20/07/04
Justin:
Apparently being at university is bad for the eyesight, I have my theories why.
Marcus: Too much "intensive" reading. Yeah. That'll be it.
Justin:
The yanks are looking at the possibility of delaying the elections if they are attacked. That sends shivers down my spine. Bush is a fascist.
Marcus: Nutters. Also, let us not forget what happened when terrorists attacked Spain just before an election - the left-wing candidate got in. Any coincidence between this and the sudden panic of the Bush administration?
Justin:
What is love? Incidentally, check this out!
justin: Disclaimer: It's not possible to get a hundred per cent probabilty, therefore there's no guarantee of any kind that the relationship will work out between these two people. No record is being kept of any information entered by the user of this program. The creators of this program are in no way liable of any actions which might be taken by users of this program. Please note that this site has no serious intention whatsoever.
Marcus: Justin and Evil Untrue Lies have a 95% chance of being in love. Then again, so does Marcus and Evil Untrue Lies (tee hee). It seems to have something to do with the total number of letters contained in both names.
Marcus:
dodgeit gives you instant free webmail you can use to fool registration programmes and suchlike. Anybody who knows your address can read the e-mail and there's no reply feature, but there is the extremely handy RSS feed of your chosen address. This and bugmenot are powerful weapons in the ars*nal of people who don't want to sign their e-mail addresses away to Spam Satan. (Via Geeklink)
Justin:
The game the Dave recommended is a bastard. My best score is 1258 but that is because I just cannot take the tension. this game would have benefited from some rules to make sure the scenery generation wasn't so random and unforgiving at times (if you get a block in the middle of a small section that is a peak or a trough you are f*cked). Also, the collision detection sh*te. Let's see some scores chaps! Team Handsome! come on! let's do this!
Justin:
"Justin arrived on Planet Earth from some other time and place. "
Well, I was born like all people.
His primary mission is to Kill All Humans, but in the meantime he is whiling away
That is not my mission really, doesn't say anythign about me.
the not-killing hours by surfing the internet and looking for amusing webpages. His favourite colour is grey. And he' s a Taurus.
I don't really surf the net that much. My favorite colour is grey and I am a Taurus though. Really, I am quite passionate, ask me about love or something.
justin: I hate that profile it's so twee it's pointless. Here's a question: Is the internet full of 'twee' people?
justin: U.K. too sweet or nice: dainty or pretty in an overdone and affected way
[Early 20th century. Baby-talk alteration of sweet.]
Definition: [adj] affectedly dainty or refined
Synonyms: dainty, mincing, niminy-piminy, prim, refined
Let's not become twee.
Marcus: Note to Justin: start up own hard-hitting current affairs website and write serious-minded intellectual profile. You can use it to contrast with the tongue-in-cheek "twee" profile used on this not very serious website.
Marcus: Also mincing, niminy-piminy and prim are all great Justin-related adjectives, which goes to show how apt it really is.
justin: I think I am going to call you Ctwee-PO from now on.
Marcus:
Glaringly is a 2D wandering-about-investigating-what-happens-when-you-press-buttons sort of affair. Bizarre but intriguing.
Dave:
I want to get my hands on these fockers and wring their necks. Here's a nice little description on how the authorities caught the Half life 2 hackers. Bastards. Give them life.
Marcus: I wish they'd just get the bloody thing out by the end of the decade. Digital lynch mobs are fun, though.
Justin:
Which Simpson are you? I am Marge simpson
dave: I'm Homer.
Marcus: Bah. I'm Marge too. I wanted to be Mr Burns.
Justin:
There now follows a report into the technical requirements for terraforming Mars.
dave: Yes. Quite.
Marcus: Fig. 2 Mars regolith/atmosphere dynamics under conditions of Td=20 with a volatile inventory of 500 mb of CO2 and oh no I'm going cross-eyed...
justin: Yeah, but it would only take about 50 years to get the planet to a condition where it would be possible to start growing plants to produce oxygen. Only a few millenia after that. Anyway, I'm still not 100% confident we wont f*ck this planet up, so having a backup isn't such a bad idea.
19/07/04
Marcus:
Man smoking in portable toilet blows it up due to unfortunate methane/ciggy interaction. (Via 2lmc.org)
Marcus:
Soldiers in the US Army can have all the cosmetic surgery they like for free - and this includes breast enlargements and facelifts.
Marcus: My favourite quote comes from a senior army plastic surgeon, who says: "The Army does not offer elective cosmetic surgery to entice anyone. I would be disappointed with the maturity of the young women in this country if they’re joining the service with the thought of getting breast augmentations."
Marcus:
Cups with patterned stamps for bases mean you can leave an attrative floral design instead of an ugly ring if you spill your tea or coffee.
Marcus:
Still on Nigeria: it seems that there has recently been a rumour there that answering calls from certain "killer numbers" will kill you immediately. Has somebody been watching The Ring? Also, a "rumour that spread a few years ago that a handshake could cause sexual organs to disappear" is a candidate for Funny Old World.
Marcus:
419ers, those merry pranksters who scam greedy people out of lots of money, have come up with a new and more sinister scam: e-mails telling people they are about to be "SNIPPED and GUNNED down" unless they give the 419ers lots of money ($40,000 dollars). This comment from Slashdot says it best.
Justin:
I have developed an interest in fighter aircraft - in many ways they are at the cutting edge of technological development. This page demonstrates something not many people are aware of: The Russians are still in the game in a very big way, and although the roles of the F-35 and the SU-37 are different. The SU-37 kicks ass. You can see that not only can it do the 'cobra maneuvre' but it can also rotate around it's forward axis whilst flying forward. That is like doing a backwards somersault - not a 'loop the loop'. Amazing. If only we could provde more clean fresh water to some more poor people.
Marcus: I took a look at the movie of the SU-37 and that backwards somersault thing is incredible!
18/07/04
Marcus:
Up for sale on Portugese eBay: the football which David Beckham hoofed into the crowd on penalties, causing England to lose to Portugal in the Euro 2004 quarter finals.
Dave: Bad joke: Saddam Hussein is going to get the death penalty. Unfortunately David Beckham is going to take it.
Marcus: Boom. Boom. (Don't worry, that wasn't the sound of WMDs going off - 'cos there aren't any! Boom. Boom.)
Marcus:
Music from the 1950s is coming out of copyright. This includes Elvis Presley songs, and yet somehow free old music without controls is seen as not being a fantastic thing by greedy record corporations.
Justin: Well, make an argument for why they should be happy.
Marcus: Because deep down, the record industry is an old softy which wants people to be able to listen to music unfettered by commercial greed? Actually, I don't really care about the record industry's feelings one iota. Let old music be free, like Shakespeare. I really hope they don't get the UK Government to pass its own version of the onerous Sonny Bono 95 year copyright law.
Marcus:
Related to the previous post - Groucho Marx once got a cease and desist letter from Warner Brothers' lawyers because he wanted to call a film "A Night In Casablanca". His letter of reply is hilarious.
Marcus:
Warner Brothers sets its legal bullies on a guy using the word "Shire" in his domain name. Presumably they will soon be ordering Shire Horses to cease and desist as well. And lots of English counties.
Justin: I agree with the website owner's assertion that the lawyers should be done for menacing. At the end of the day, threatening legal action left, right and centre is menacing, and if it is unfounded (by the facts, legal or historical), then there should be some amends. Lawyers are piss-taking chancers with nothing to lose if their bullying fails.
Marcus:
Sky Captain & The World Of Tomorrow has the potential to be a really cool film (as far as I can see it's action sci-fi set in a 1930s vision of the future). The trailer is awesome.
Marcus:
A fully accessible version of the UK Train Timetables which can be used on, for instance, mobile phone web browsers.
Marcus:
The New York Times issues an editorial which apologises for not doing more to stress that Iraq may not have had Weapons of Mass Destruction. Refreshing. (Use bugmenot to get a username and password if needed).
Marcus:
There's a big anti-terror drill in the West Midlands on today. It's obviously time to scare up the masses a bit (and why didn't we have these drills when the IRA was conducting very real and frequent mainland bombings?).
Marcus:
Kids can only relate to learning about electricity generation because Homer Simpson works in a nuclear power station - frightening.
Marcus:
Michael Howard says he wouldn't have voted for war in Iraq if he'd known intelligence was crap. Oh yeah?
Marcus:
Elton John likens the atmosphere in America today to McCarthyism in the 1950s. I have no great love of Elton John, but it's hard to disagree on this.
Marcus:
A Royal Mail postman has been charged for stealing over 130,000 letters and leaflets, although the reasons for his hoarding are unclear.
Marcus:
Baguettes are undergoing an attempted revival in France - ironically, their leading bread expert is an American.
Marcus:
Today I'm going to be posting a whole bunch of links from my Sunday reading of BBC News. To start: an examination of Bush and Kerry's campaign fundraising.
Marcus:
Use Hilary Duff's voice to create a Cinderella Story involving your mates, then e-mail it to them or even phone it through. I was giggling like a maniac when I heard the results.
Marcus:
The guys behind South Park are making a Thunderbirds-inspired spoof terrorist action movie with puppets. I can't wait to see this one.
17/07/04
Marcus:
Fed up with websites that make you register to read stuff? bugmenot.com lists login details for a lot of them, all contributed by users.
16/07/04
Marcus:
The Incredible Evil Machine. A Flash animation of perpetual unpleasantness being inflicted on little stick men.
Marcus:
With I, Robot looking like just another Will Smith action vehicle rather than anything resembling the original Isaac Asimov novel, CNN asks "Do summer sci-fi films have to be so dumb?"
Marcus:
A rather odd website that lists a wide variety of female celebrities who have smoked on the stage, screen or in real life, and where they did it.
Marcus:
A website hosting UK television torrents. You need to create an account to download stuff, but it's almost all pure gold on there. I can particularly recommend BBC 3's new Office-like sitcom The Smoking Room. (Via LinkMachineGo)
:
I know what you love guys: a long drawn out definition of post-modernism you can thank me later
Marcus: Brain hurt. Want funny man pictures.
Marcus:
Wired gives the rundown on alternative web browsers (alternative, that is, to Internet Explorer). iRider in particular looks cool, but I'll be sticking with Opera for now.
Marcus:
New iPods coming in August. Apparently they will be similar in design to the iPod Mini, come in a variety of colours, and have bigger hard drives. (Via plasticbag.org). In other iPod news, a club is holding a party where people can bring along their iPod and have the playlist played for 15 minutes to the crowd. (Via The Big Smoker)
15/07/04
Marcus:
You may have noticed that this website has been unavailable for frequent periods of time over the last week. I have no idea what's going on. The problem seems to be randomly affecting the web and FTP services of both neverthink.com and linkbunnies.org.
Needless to say, I've asked my host to sort the problem out as it's becoming increasingly frustrating. No news yet.
Marcus:
Prodigy's long-awaited new album "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned" is available to download in promo form (if you're a terrorist-supporting P2P criminal, that is). I've heard it, and as a major Prodigy fan I have to say I was sorely disappointed. Maybe three tracks rate as "not bad", whilst the rest range from "mediocre" to "utterly rubbish". This Blogcritics.org review does a good job of outlining what's wrong.
Andy: doesnt compare with jilted generation, or fat of the land, but i reckon the best tracks are:
2.Girls Feat. The Ping Pong b*tches
3.Memphis Bells Feat. Princess Superstar
5. Hot Ride Feat. Juliette Lewis
Marcus: I'd go with that.
Dave:
What!? The BNP are racists!? I'm shocked and appalled.
Marcus: I just found out that there are now four BNP councillors in Bradford which is, quite frankly, an appalling indictment of just how bad race relations have become.
Dave:
Seeing Marcus's post linking to Seethru.co.uk, reminded me of this... THE HELICOPTER GAME! Quite blantantly the most addictive game I have ever laid my eyes upon. It nearly cost me my degree. My current high score is 1443, but in the past I have gone well over 2500. Are you as good as me? Simple answer... no.
Marcus:
"Outfoxed examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news. This film provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know." Really want to see this one.
14/07/04
Marcus:
Are you in an 80's action movie? (I've linked to this in the past elsewhere, but seeing it again made me laugh.)
Laura:
Ever wondered if you could stump poor old Jeeves and ask him a question he was incapable of answering? Well, you're not the first, as this website proves.
Marcus: He's got an answer if you ask "Is Jeeves gay?"
Dave:
I'm rubbish at Pictionary. But luckily so are all the people who use iSketch which makes me feel like a God. It's a kind of online Pictionary where you use paint to draw. Addictive. Fun. Free. All good.
Marcus:
Guess the Dictator or Sit-Com Character. It correctly got Ross from Friends after about a dozen questions.
Marcus:
Bubblegum Machine contains tongue-in-cheek reviews of lots of cheesy music ("If it's ever been on K-Tel, it's in"), all of which is available for download direct from the site.
Dave:
Phew! Looks like I can join the army after all!
Marcus: Call me cynical, but I smell a nice bit of free publicity for Apple's iPod here (like they need any more!)
dave: You're cynical.
Marcus: Good call.
Marcus:
An exceedingly large-scale model of the Solar System is to be built in Britain, with the Sun at Jodrell Bank, the Earth in Cheshire, Pluto in Aberdeen, and Uranus in Bath. I think it's a great way to show just how vast the solar system is and how far apart the planets actually are.
Marcus:
Chris De Burgh has bought the Alien muppet that bursts out of John Hurt's chest in the original film. Er?
dave: I love this story. It just adds more weight to my "Chris De Burgh is an evil alien from outer space" story.
Marcus: "Alien in red, is dancing with me, cheek to vicious set of secondary snappy jaws"
Marcus:
Ain't It Cool News is carrying a rumour that Hollywood is set to remake The Ten Commandments on the back of The Passion's success. Worst. Remake. Idea. Ever.
Marcus:
419 scammer has the tables turned on him by somebody who convinces him to paint his breast red and give his intended victim $80. Funniest thing I've read in ages. I've linked to the more readable BBC account but there is also a longer and more detailed version on 419eater.com.
13/07/04
Marcus:
Yesterday Justin linked to a disturbing story about how the US Air Force still feeds its pilots speed to stay awake longer. It reminded me of an old-ish piece of news about Modafinil, a drug that helps people stay awake for three days straight with little or no side effects.
Marcus:
The Who's Pete Townshend claims that Michael Moore has bullied and slurred him because Townshend wouldn't let Moore use his song "Won't Get Fooled Again" in Fahrenheit 9/11.
Marcus:
Britney Spears flashes a boobie, if you're to believe The World's Worst Rag, aka The Sun. Could quite easily be a Photoshop job and the background story seems a little unconvincing, but I don't want to spoil anybody's fun here.
Marcus:
"One in four Internet users have downloaded a movie", says the Motion Picture Ass. of America. "Bollocks," says The Register, backed up with good evidence.
Justin: Yah, they are lying, but none of us can deny that we are using a product they have made in order to make profit without paying them. Saying that though, with less money maybe they would start making films for people who wanted more than explosions, t*ts and lifestyle suggestions.
Marcus: That's true enough, although it's still irritating just how far organisations like the MPAA will go to distort the truth or indeed lie outright. Doesn't really do much for their position viz-a-viz the moral high ground.
laura: Justin, you want more than t*ts? My, you have grown and matured *gets weepy over the good old days*.
Marcus: Our little boy is growing up so *sniff* fast...
12/07/04
Justin:
Remember that line from 80's classic Top Gun? "I feel the need, the need for speed!" - well read this and be suitably shocked. I was going to post you this link and this link to some interesting F-16 fighter variants, when I discovered this article and then lead onto the link above! Scary when you think about it.
Laura:
Well, I am new to this whole silly links thing so I was looking around the internet, trying to find something for my first link for you all. And well I couldn't think of anything to put in Google except birthday related stuff, what with it being mine tomorrow. And look what I found! If you don't know what to buy me for my birthday, this is a wonderful idea. Now grovel before me peasant swine!
Marcus: I think if you had a title you'd probably shoot poor people for sport. I know I would.
Justin:
Fat people are really god's angels sent down to walk among us and teach us when to stop eating.
Justin:
Who ever wrote this piece of heartfelt prose has a point and I think every one of you needs to take note. You know who you are.
Marcus:
"Film piwacy is BAD and used by TEWOWRISTS and PWAEDOPHILES and DWUG DEALERS to make money! UNDERSTAND? BAD! BAD! BAD! You are EVIL if you buy a bootleg copy of Spiderman 2 from some bloke in Kempton Market! BAD! UNDERSTAND? You DWUGGY-PWAEDOPHILE-TEWOWRIST-FUNDING BWASTARD!" says TV's Jonathon Woss.
Justin: How could piracy fund paedophile rings? We all know they make their money by producing pop bands. Truth is the first casualty of war.
11/07/04
Marcus:
It was my mum's birthday today, and my sister bought some of those "magic candles" for the cake. Here's how self-relighting candles work.
Marcus:
Are you a rich beyond the dreams of Avarice iPod owner like Dave? Want a different sort of protective case for it? Try the RetroPod - "A weather-proof, future-proof iPod case. Handmade from a vintage Sports Walkman." The waterproof LiliPod casing looks great too.
dave: Rich? Not anymore my friend.
Marcus: I'll get an iPod as soon as they're given away free with packets of Weetabix. Or when I can actually afford one of the mini yet pricey things (which will probably be around the same time they're giving them away with cereal).
justino: I've mucked about with a colleague's iPod and must say, I don't think they're that great - In much the way I don't think Macs are that great. I think over simplified interfaces are good for morons, but I know what I am doing and want to do it properly.
Marcus:
Archos' AV 400 looks like the best pocket media device yet. You can even use it as a TiVo-like personal video recorder!
Marcus:
Naming and shaming Apple UK for their crap customer service. Judging from this guy's experience it certainly puts me off ever getting a Powerbook.
Marcus:
People with their own websites are "probably shy, sensitive to criticism and suffering from low self esteem". Why, that's me! (Not really. I'm just a loud-mouthed narcissist who glories in his own arrogance).
Justin: Some say that personal home pages are futile products of narcissism and exhibitionism. Some say that home pages are "inane, petty, and grotesquely self-indulgent with no redeeming qualities whatsoever".
Marcus: Inane. Check. Petty. Check. Grotesquely self-indulgent. Check. No redeeming qualities whatsoever. Check. Go me!
Marcus:
A critique of Fahrenheit 9/11 that isn't written by a foaming-at-the-mouth fascist. Well argued and thought-provoking. (Via plasticbag.org)
10/07/04
Marcus:
Gmail Agent is a Windows .NET app which automatically checks to see if you've got any new messages in your Gmail account.
Marcus:
A woman high on cocaine gives birth to a baby in a bar's toilets, then dumps the baby and goes on partying. Baby dies. The other cases mentioned in this article