30/09/04
Laura:
Paul is a genius for finding this link for me. Was listening to the radio the other morning and heard a report about a Swedish couple who were banned by their government from naming their son Superman.
Marcus: I'm kind of with the Swedish court on this one, although it's bizarre that "Batman" is ok.
Dave: BOLLOCKS! If I ever have kids one of them is going to be called Dave Danger Warren. Then he can tell everyone that "Danger" is his middle name. If the government try and stop me...
Marcus: What, even if they're all girls?
Dave:
Looks like Google want a slice of the Internet Browser Pie. Mmm Pie.
dave: Seriously though. This may have nasty reprocussions for poor little web developers like me who already have to cater for stupid Mac users (I hate you) and people who are too retarded to get the latest versions of the browser they use. Then there's standards compliance, what's the point of having W3C standards if the browser that 95% of people use doesn't follow them! I looking at you Bill Gates. Rant over.
Marcus: Don't worry. All the signs are that if GBrowser is a conventional web browser - and that's a big "if" - then it will be Mozilla based, and therefore unlikely to be much of a headache.
Marcus: I wouldn't blame Mac users too much either. It's not their fault that Microsoft never updated IE5 Mac beyond the level of "crap", and to be fair Apple's Safari scores pretty well in terms of web standards support.
dave: Safari isn't that bad at all, but seriously, why would anyone in their right mind want to use Mac in the first place.
dave: I wondered when that would come out. I never said I hated Apple. I hate Macs and Mac users. The very thought of someone telling "the Mac user interface is so intuitive" or "actually I think you'll find that OSX Kitten has a much better file management system than Windows", makes my skin crawl. You've still only got one f*cking mouse button though you f*cktard! Apple have cornered the market in poncy looking sh*tboxes that are less reliable than Windows ME. If anyone ever tells you that Macs don't crash or that a Mac network is great they are a f*cking liar. I hate them, hate them, hate them, hate them.
dave: In fact. Sit around kids, it's story time...
I work for a small New Media company in Suffolk. Sometimes we supply hardware to our clients. On particular client (post-labotomy) requested that we supply them with some bog standard eMacs for some reason or another. We considered our options and it was decided that we would purchase the very bog standard model that doesn't ship with CD drives (saving something like £10 a piece).
The day arrived and we sat down to configure the machines so that they would be ready for use. However... during the install process, setup says... "Please insert your OSX cd into the drive". D'Oh. Silly us, saving ourselves a miniscule amount meant that we couldn't actually set the bloody things up. Help was at hand. We used plugged in an external CD drive and tried again. - Up to this point everything is fair enough, people have spare / external CD drives, I buy that. -
When it asked for the CD again, we realised that Apple, in their infinite wisdom, supplies it's eMacs with an OSX DVD not a CD. So even if we had bought the CD model (which were out of stock at the time now I think about it) we still would have got dicked. In the end it took some fancy fiddling and an external DVD Drive to sort it all out.
Moral of this story? Not really sure.
I work for a small New Media company in Suffolk. Sometimes we supply hardware to our clients. On particular client (post-labotomy) requested that we supply them with some bog standard eMacs for some reason or another. We considered our options and it was decided that we would purchase the very bog standard model that doesn't ship with CD drives (saving something like £10 a piece).
The day arrived and we sat down to configure the machines so that they would be ready for use. However... during the install process, setup says... "Please insert your OSX cd into the drive". D'Oh. Silly us, saving ourselves a miniscule amount meant that we couldn't actually set the bloody things up. Help was at hand. We used plugged in an external CD drive and tried again. - Up to this point everything is fair enough, people have spare / external CD drives, I buy that. -
When it asked for the CD again, we realised that Apple, in their infinite wisdom, supplies it's eMacs with an OSX DVD not a CD. So even if we had bought the CD model (which were out of stock at the time now I think about it) we still would have got dicked. In the end it took some fancy fiddling and an external DVD Drive to sort it all out.
Moral of this story? Not really sure.
andy: I hate macs and their owners. Mac users constantly mass debate with each other comparing their godly macs to our lowly pcs. I hate them.
Specially those who run xp emulation on their mac os, makes me angry!!!
Marcus: I don't love or hate any company, but I do generally feel a kind of tired antipathy towards anybody who claims to "love" a company or its products. Companies exist to aggregate money to feed their shareholders. That's all. Apple is, as far as I can see, no better or worse than Microsoft, they just have the miracle of users who will somehow go out on parades to say how great they are, even when the overwhelming evidence is that they're not, really. Must be an ancient tribal instinct thing. Anyway, to anybody who does extol the virtues of company A or B: please go and do something painful to end your silly little life. Right now. You're a complete waste of atoms.
andy: I love microsoft.
Marcus: You are a bad man.
Marcus:
"Gurkhas win UK citizenship rights".
Marcus: About time.
an opposing wiew: naah mate I have to say I disagree with this one, not because of teh rightness and wrongness of the issue, but because of what the army will do. I have it on good authority that if they got all the rights of a british squaddie (pay, citizenship and so on) then the army would simply disband the gurkhas. it was going to happen if they managed to get the same pay (the army won that one) but getting citizenship rights is a step towards it.
I kid you not guys, 'that would be wrong too' you cry. well it would but it still leaves them in the cold.
Tim: sorry that was MY opposing view. and the odd typo...
Marcus: Why would the army disband the Gurkhas if they were given the same pay etc? That's completely and utterly 1) wrong and 2) retarded. If they serve with the British Army they should be given British Army pay and conditions. If the British Army can't handle that, then frankly I am ashamed to be British.
Tim: mate, as I said its not about who's right or wrong, or who has the moral high ground. In a moral world they would not be there either because there would be no need for armies and fighting. also the fact is that the army is being shrunk, and the two main driving forces are money (mostly from governmental cuts) and the EU who call alot of the shots. the army employed the gurkhas not only because they kicked ass but because they were cheap as chips. If they cost more, then they have more resons to be disbanded. also they only recruit nepalese, which the EU will probably say is discriminatory, as we now recruit from all the commonwealth countries (nepal incuded) we can still recruit them but not now for a nepalese-only regiment. it might be wrong and immoral, but its realpolitik mate...
Tim: so the gurkhas might stil be there, but they won't all be nepalese. My source reckons they will be phased out by about ten years time. there'll be a fight to save them which will delay things, but it will happen. So, morality aside, they could have had less rights and pay, and their own respected regiment, or equal rights and pay and lose their reputation and uniqueness.
Marcus: It still comes down to penny-pinching. The Government spent billions on Iraq for no adequately explored reason, so I'm sure they can throw a few more quid towards a bunch of heroic, life-laying-down foreigners who sign up to protect the Crown.
tim: blame the government then, though they never were going to act morally whoever was in power, the fact is that by demanding those rights, they have in a way sealed their fate. they must have seen that coming man, they couldn't be that idealistic.
Marcus:
Stupid BBC News article that claims women sprinters will outrun male sprinters by, er, 2156, "if trends continue". Which of course doesn't make any sense at all - you just can't extrapolate something like that. It makes... me... mad.
dave: Scientists are idiots.
Marcus:
New Star Wars TV show to have Kevin Smith as director? I'll believe it when I see it. (Via).
Marcus:
The sinister curse of the Banana Phone. (Via Adam).
dave: Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring Banana Phone.
29/09/04
:
Tony put me on to this one, it might be up already but its always good to be reminded, I recommend magical trevor, kenya, and badgers. the salad fingers ones are a bit spooky.
Marcus: Ahhh, weebl. PIE!
Marcus:
The new Nintendo Donkey Konga game comes with a set of bongos to use as a playing device. Match this with Sony's PS2 EyeToy Groove and you've got Ultimate Crazy Big Dance American Party! I heart Nintendo.
Marcus: Apparently Donkey Konga isn't that good though. Bah.
Marcus:
Scientists may still be working on that cure for cancer, but in the meantime thanks to their tireless efforts we now have a solution for that notorious puzzle that has previously confounded history's greatest minds: "Can you swimp in syrup as easily as in water, or what?"
Marcus:
Paul Daniels walks out of a reality TV show after a fight with Vanilla Ice.
Marcus: Celebrity reality TV is in some kind of perpetual shark-jumping loop. Headlines like these used to belong on The Day Today!
Marcus:
Wired reckons Star Wars: Battlefront is for major fans only.
dave: Hmmm, that's a shame. It sounds a bit sh*t. I might need 1Mbit ADSL.
Marcus: I think it looks alright-ish, but I don't really see what this has to offer that Jedi Knight: Academy doesn't already have. Apart from being able to shoot Jar Jar Binks.
Marcus:
Live blow-by-blow coverage of SpaceShipOne's attempt to claim the Ansari X Prize (if they get into space and back again successfully, they win) (Whoops, this was just the first official attempted flight. They need one more to get the prize).
Marcus:
Weird arty giant walking tube animal things. (Via).
tim: that is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen- and they took my architectural degree away from me!!! how dare they!!!
Marcus: That was merely your cue to become a dark and twisted evil architectual genius.
Marcus:
Mel Brooks is writing Spaceballs 2.
dave: YES!!! "God willing we'll all meet again in Spaceballs 2: The search for more money." The only issue is the sad loss of John Candy. Who will play Barf?
Marcus: Easy - Jack Black.
dave: Ooooh good call. I can't top that. John Goodman? Nah, Jack Black is spot on.
28/09/04
Marcus:
BBC News is starting to automatically link to other news sites for its articles, a bit like Google News. Handy. (Via).
Marcus:
Photomosaics of George Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. Some choice, politically-motivated photos are used to create the images. (Via).
dave: Don't want to sound like an ars*hole, but these are crap. They are not mosaics at all. They are just a load of photos shrunk down with another opaque image laid over the top. Bah! Shoddy left-wing bollocks. Bah!
Marcus: I can see what you're saying (ie colour tones/brightness look they've been altered to suit where necessary) but that's what happens with most photomosaics. All the ones I've ever seen, anyway. It seems to be an acceptable stretch of the "photomosaic" idea.
Marcus: Metapixel is free photomosaic-generating software that looks pretty good, and seems to have a "cheat" feature that I suspect does as I've described above.
justin: I've with Dave on this - the first actual photomosaics were interesting, presumably with the agregate brightness of each frame being assigned a pixel shade and some clever software doing the rest. Justin says: But if they think they can juts do some crap semi-opaque image on top of another in order to trick us into thinking they are clever then why dont we just let 13 year old pregnant criminals live in Buckingham palace?
Marcus:
NTL customers were yesterday told to f*ck off by a recorded message. At least they're honest.
dave: I am so proud of the person that did this.
Marcus:
Interesting BBC News article about the American people's distrust of the media - even Republicans don't really like Fox News all that much.
Justin:
On Microsoft having to remove Media Player from Windows. - In the course of that case, a Microsoft executive testified that removing the Windows media player would hamper rival media players from working properly.
RealNetworks executives dispute this, and they have given demonstrations to E.U. regulators showing its player operating normally on a version of Windows with Microsoft's media player removed.
Marcus:
The Last Email - a website that lets you haunt people from beyond the grave via e-mail. (Via).
27/09/04
Marcus:
A 1950s vision of the computer of 2004.
justin: What the f*ck is that giant steering wheel for? or is it to control the steam release valve?
andy: Its my old 386!
Marcus: I think the steering wheel is an early attempt to create a more realistic input device for driving games, which 1950s scientists believed would be the future.
dave: Look closer... HOAX!!!
Marcus: Explain...?
dave: Harry Secombe superimposed over the top of the picture. The perspective on the typewriter-esque keyboard. It just looks... odd. I suppose I might be wrong. I've felt quite cynical today.
Marcus: Hehe - Harry Secombe you say...?
Dave:
I have finally got hold of my Star Wars DVDs and to please Marcus I have checked frame by frame to see what Lucas has done about the Greedo Solo shooting first debate. I'm afraid that Greedo does shoot first, albeit only very slightly. Some cool special features though including a nice Darth Vader thing with some cool green screen fighting. It's a PG - Contains violence and peril. LOL
Marcus: Violence and peril? Screw that then. I'll stick to My Little Pony - The Movie.
Marcus:
Chocolate manufacturers have promised to stop making king-size chocolate bars as early as next year.
Marcus:
Verisign's USB online age-verifying token for kids and why it is a bloody stupid idea.
dave: Nnnnnnngggggg.
Marcus:
The SmartKlamp: home circumcision has never been so much fun! (Via).
dave: How and why the f*ck did you find that!?
Marcus: On my daily trawl of other link-aggregating sites that I engage in when I should probably be doing something more constructive.
Marcus:
The Red Baron was probably shot down because of prior brain damage suffered in an earlier dogfight that made him "disinhibited"
Marcus: "The baron was a hunter, and this instinct became unbridled. When he found himself in trouble he could not or would not break off the pursuit to save himself. This rigid behaviour is perseveration, associated with dysfunction involving the frontal lobes."
Marcus:
Tom and Jerry are adults' favourite cartoon characters.
Marcus: I'm more of a Roadrunner/Wile E. Coyote fan. Good to see Dangermouse at number 3.
justin: Dangermouse isn't that good - more nostalgia I think. Also you are wring about Tom and Jerry - they are more funny. Both cartoons jumped the shark in the 60s though, badly.
Marcus: Yeah, 1960s Warner Bros committed animated war crimes against their characters.
dave: I take issue with that Justin. Dangermouse is very good, David Jason was Penfold! I remember seeing an episode on Sky at about 3am when I was... not at my best. I remember a wolf-man character who kept disguising himself as a little girl. It was great! f*cked up, but great!
Marcus:
Conspiracy therory corner: Did the BBC deliberately choose this picture of Gordon Brown because he looks like a zombie about to attack?
dave: The BBC are notorious for the pictures they pick for people. Have a quick glance at the football pages and you will see some of the funniest photos ever.
dave: For example check this picture of Brown giving a Nazi salute
Marcus:
Hotmail ends its free service for importing its e-mail into other programs (eg Outlook).
Marcus: Apparently it's because it can help spammers. I used to use the service myself, but gave up because it was a bit slow and rubbish.
Marcus:
You can kill Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: Battlefront. (Via).
Marcus: No news yet if you can play as Han Solo and shoot Greedo first.
dave: I think I need to buy this game.
Marcus:
Government encourages deprived kids to take up boxing; doctors say "er, but what about the risk of brain damage?".
justin: I think kids should be learning a martial art - perhaps one without deadly applications like Judo. It would teach them genuine respect for authority - they could see first hand the skill and wisdom that comes with experience, rather than them having to "have" respect simply because they are told to.
Marcus:
CNN: "Deaf children thrown together in a school in Nicaragua without any type of formal instruction invented their own sign language - a sophisticated system that has evolved and grown".
26/09/04
Justin:
9/11 Conspiracy pages - about a streaking object in the sky. Why assume it was an f-15 when you could assume it was a alien craft? These conspiracy chaps forget themselves sometimes.
adam: Shame on you for getting my hopes up like that... I just read "streaking" and was expecting naked people. Conspiracy theorists do get a bit OTT at times. Occam's razor means nothing to them.
Marcus: If it was anything at all, it was probably a missile aimed at bringing the second jet down. But then again, if it was a missile, it would've impacted the ground and caused quite a big boom in itself.
Marcus: So it's almost definitely a load of old rubbish. Certainly, the "other cameras prove there was something" evidence is tenuous to say the least - what, so a couple of black dots elsewhere means it must be a real object?
justin: Occam's razor is entirely dependant on the information available.... you believe that quantom theory is a correct analysis of how the universe works, but it requires one to invent multiple universes - believing in a single coherent creator is a much simpler idea. I am sceptical about this look at the twin towers attack - but I do think the Pentagon attack was a fake, I also believe that fourth airliner was shot down.
Adam:
Definition of a spacker. This is a word used by myself and Marcus since back when Scope was still called "The Spastics Society". We were not allowed to call each other "spastics" or "spaz", so the term "spacker" came about. However it appears to have been stolen. Still derogatory, mind! Now I know how people felt when gay people started calling themselves gay, or queer, or whatever. Taking a perfectly good word we could use to insult people with and using it for their bottylove.
Marcus: How dare they!
dave: My definition, My definition is this, My definition.
laura: I just looked up knobjockey on the urban dictionary and my god that was amusing.
25/09/04
Adam:
Rettet Bernd! I am afraid the page is in German, so you'll have to take my word for it that means "Save Bernd". Bernd, the cute rabbit from an earlier link by Tim. From what I can gather of this website, this is group of German hotties call themselves "Bad girl Security", who are planning on breaking him out, commando style (I really hope that means what I think it does)... Here is a picture of the fearless fighting team. "Have no fear, Bernd" they coo. "We're coming!". Can anyone say "Lesbian Spank Inferno"?
Marcus: If those are "German hotties", in God's name don't link to a picture of "German crackwh*res".
dave: Lesbian Spank Inferno III.
Justin:
I got this little pop-under advert for a Homeland security alert program - so you can constantly be updated on how secure your homeland is. It really is obscene how Orwellian it's getting in the US. Also please note the handy tip "Screenshot: see right "
adam: I was thinking with such a generic name as "homeland security alert" it would be an international program with regional settings. Nope, US only. Some breaking news (well, from June) on the forum there: "the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks said Wednesday no evidence exists that al-Qaida had strong ties to Saddam Hussein" What, really? You mean that al Qaida, who had branded Hussein as an "infidel", isn't best mates with him?!
Adam:
A brief history of the American Pledge of Allegiance. The original US constitution "guarantees that godly belief would never be used as a qualification for holding office", i.e. an atheist can be president. Turns out the "Under God" words were only added in the 1950s due to pressure from a masons-like catholic group, the "founding fathers" made every effort to ensure religion didn't come in to anything. Anyway, I'll let you read it.
Marcus: I think that says an awful lot about the direction of contempory American political morality and the seemingly relentless drive by some (generally Republican) forces to remove the seperation between Church and State that modern democracies are supposed to be founded on.
adam: Indeed it does. The original ideas of the USA were good, and would be relevant still today. But then, I'm a lil' bit couuuuuuntryyyyy...
24/09/04
Marcus:
Guy dumps girlfriend with a PowerPoint presentation. (Via).
andy: Its what MMS was made for....
Marcus:
Presidential contender Halloween mask sales have correctly predicted who's going to be the next president since 1980. And apparently Kerry is losing on this one. (Via).
Marcus:
The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy adventure game is now online at the BBC, with a spanky new Flash-based graphic interface.
Marcus: I love that there is an icon to represent "no tea".
laura: you are truly evil, I have been playing this all day instead of doing any real work.
Marcus: It's your employer's fault - if they wanted you to work, they wouldn't have given you the internet, right? Sue them for breach of your human right to work without distraction!
23/09/04
Justin:
Wholesome American family - The Niggars. Niggar please download that video.
Dave: It's ok because Dave Chappelle is black! Checkout his film Half baked if you can.
Marcus: I've seen that. Quality stoner-based entertainment.
:
This might be old news to you old surfers but does anybody want to save bernd?
justin: It has been suspended for some reason!
Marcus: Possibly some legal issues relating to the threat to kill an animal unless money is paid?
justin: Is that illegal? It can't be much different to Bernard Matthews saying "I have already killed thousands of animals so give me some money"
adam: Ah, but this is "in your face", with a name and a personality. An analogy would be if one man going to Iraq against all advice and is then kidnapped it is all over the news, but if an Iraqi kid is killed then it doesn't even make the statistics...
adam: Sorry, forgot how to speak English properly for a moment there, but you know what I am saying!
Dave:
Help bring about world piece by w*nking. Attack your sack not Iraq!
Marcus: If you're a masochist, maybe.
Marcus: I can't actually see the site from here (blocked, funnily enough), but my suggested slogan is:
Be an onanist, not a terrorist.
Be an onanist, not a terrorist.
justin: My excessive w*nking has averted 3 nuclear attacks from India, Israel and Kazhakstan.
Marcus:
Immortality update: we only have 27 unique clicks so far. This is rubbish - how are we supposed to live forever when we need 80 clicks to get a pair of those snazzy immortality rings? Help us live forever.
Marcus: Actually, we might have more clicks than 27, but the site is somewhat obtuse in how it communicates the information. Anybody would think Alex Chiu didn't want people to get free immortality rings. Pah.
Dave:
KHHAAAAAAAAN!!! Or KHHAAAAAAAAN!!!
Marcus: I would issue a stern, teacherly reprimand for posting a link to a story that has already been covered, but your choice of words made it funny, so you are forgiven.
Marcus: Also, it's probably a bit wrong that I can remember that a certain link was posted two months ago.
Marcus:
Are you a mad scientist lacking the financial backing to outright buy a sinister electricity-harnessing Tesla Coil? Worry no more, because Tesla Coils are available to hire from a company in Reading. (Via Timzilla).
Marcus:
"South Africa's deputy president has encouraged young girls to take virginity tests to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancy."
Marcus: I don't think that's as mad as it might initially sound: encouraging abstinence through cultural doctrine.
Marcus: And well done to South Africa's Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang for encouraging people to eat garlic and beetroot to ward off AIDS. The search for an HIV vaccine is over!
justin: Basically they need to start wearing f*cking condoms. Also, if everyone waited until they were 23 to have their first baby, the population growth of the entire world would halve.
Marcus: Pray, what other kind of condoms are there besides the ones designed for f*cking?
adam: If someone gave me HIV, I'd kick them square in the fanny. Justin: I did some research to satisfy a curiosity recently. I looked at the top 5 UNICEF famine countries. I then found out their reproductive rates. It was between 5.5 and 6.5 children per women. Have less, they will get to eat more, more will survive. Perhaps the population won't shrink that much but those that survive will be a damned site happier and healthier.
Laura:
Forget going and joiing the regular army and going to war in Iraq and sh*t, now you can be a stormtrooper! Take over the whole galaxeeeeeeeee!
Marcus:
Unfortunate choice of words in a CNN article about Cat Stevens (Yusef Islam) being refused entry to the US:
"Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge accused Islam of having some unspecified relationship with terrorist activity."
"Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge accused Islam of having some unspecified relationship with terrorist activity."
adam: Well, the titles of tracks 17-20 on my Cat Stevens album, when read in that order, come out as "Oh Very Young Novim's Nightmare Ruins New York Times". I want to know, who is Novim?!
Justin:
McDonalds' answer to the Supersize-Me debate. It's quite interesting - and in their defence they have to answer to claims like "their salads have more calories than a Big Mac" - although, the claim was "....including the Ranch dressing you will inevitably put on it."
Marcus: And well done McDonald's for making the entire damn thing a Flash movie for no adequately explored reason. I think this indicates a direct link between obesity and pointless uses of Flash in a website.
justin: It is a bit mad for some reason - really slow when you mose over the menu side. I wonder if this is because your computer is working overtime to send them details of all your web activity and music downloads and anti-american speech or something.
justin: that could be "mouse over" the menu or "mosey on over" the menu.
dave: I genuinely read it as mosey.
Marcus:
The US Transportation Security Administration: "All your commercial flight passenger records are belong to us".
Marcus:
Sony is going to support MP3 on all its portable digital music players in the future, and offer firmware upgrades for existing models to support it too. Good boy Sony. Good boy.
Justin:
Guardian article on the UK reluctance to litigate against 13 year old girls downloading songs.
Marcus: "'We are close to the point of litigation,' Steve Redmond, director of communications for the BPI - the industry body which represents the majority of British music - said last week."
justin: I wonder if The Sun comes out guns blazing saying how corrupt record industry fat cats are going after crippled young girls who fancy George Michael, or whether they defend the interests of the corporation.
Marcus: Seeing as Rupert Murdoch owns 20th Century Fox and, no doubt, some record companies, I think I've got a pretty good idea which way they'd swing.
Marcus:
The Propaganda Remix Project - old war posters remixed with 21st century messages. Excellent. (Via BoingBoing).
Marcus:
The guy who made Outfoxed - a compelling documentary about Rupert Murdoch's notorious news network - offers all its raw footage for free. Anybody can download and use it as they see fit!
Laura:
To save you all having to look up PAN, here they are in glorious technicolour (and possibly some very annoying midi music that sounds like a circus type theme, I have no speakers on my comp at work, but I remember my ear drums being offended last time I was on this website). I think there's even an article about me on there, something about WUK defending Clergy abuse or something. Some dude came along telling us that every vicar and priest was a kiddie fiddler, and I wasn't too impressed so used my mod abilities to shut the post down, so he went off crying to PAN. He also wrote another article about WUK Claiming the Chairman to be akin to Saddam Hussein (personally I never thought Casp looked like Santa) and myself to be a little Hitler. It's kid of pathetic that some Pagans have become so anti-Christian that they end up displaying how bitter and twisted they are to the world in a forum like this.
Marcus: Er. Nutters.
justin: I can see immeditately they are tw*ts. The circus music and pop up adverts alone do that - but also just looking at any of their articles: PAN asks "Haven't we already got enough religious fanaticism within this fragile little planet we call home?" - this is during an article slating someone else's interpretation of their own religion. They continue - "Gibson has admitted: 'Yes. I wanted the violence and the suffering to be shocking and to provoke a reaction.'". Suggesting that the Passion is designed to incite racial hatred in much the same as the previous versions of the play for the 16th century. This suggests that the author is more likely to react angrily from seeing suffering, and begin to lash out, rather than to feel compassion, pity and shame for man's violent acts. At the very least it proves that they assume everyone else would, even if they themselves wouldn't. If I get time later I am going to email the author and tell them why I think they are a tw*t.
Marcus: Definitely somebody the wrong side of mentally unstable.
Adam:
Pagan Federation website. I thought after that adopt a pagan soldier link I should post a link to a website that has actual information on paganism for anyone who is interested. Definitely an interesting subject for anyone who has an interest in the spiritual history of this great land. I always find it interesting just how pagan we are in the UK despite being officially a christian country for the last 1000 years. And lastly, today is the Autumnal equinox so most good pagan sorts will be celebrating right now. Oh, and I seem to recall that a druid priest is legally allowed to carry a sword in public, provided he is also wearing ceremonial robes. Great fun.
laura: The PF are an alright group of people really, and they have plenty of info on their site. I know some people who have had issues with them, but then that's bound to happen with any group. The have a fairly decent annual conference type thing which knocks spots off the one that the Children of Artemis run. One of the PF's former organiser runner people had run-ins like WUK did with PAN. Look them up if you want a good laugh. The Pagan Anti-defamation Network. They claim to support Pagan groups against those who would persecute them, but instead they mostly have a go at other Pagan networks because PAN say bigotted and closed minded things on their websites and are angry when criticised for it. I actually suspect that PAN is run by one solitary bitter and twisted man.
laura: Oh, and happy Mabon to one and all :o)
justin: When you say the "PF" I kept thinking the Zanu-PF - Robert Mugabe's party. Tee hee hee.
Marcus: Maybe there's a link? Enquiring minds want to know.
22/09/04
Adam:
Adopt a Pagan soldier. That's right, not everyone in the states is a Lutherian, Amish, or Nation of Islam follower. I must warn you though, reading their website reveals that they know sod all about paganism... Can't they get any belief system right in the US?! Even the Nation of Islam doesn't practice Islam correctly: their spokesman publicly announced that circumcision is where you suck on the end of a boy's penis, thus NoI won't do it. Anyway, rant over, go and adopt a pagan soldier.
laura: Am I right in think that America is the only country where Paganism is legally reconnised as a religion? Something like that anyways. Wierd when you think about how right wing Christian the country is.
adam: As far as I know paganism is recognised in the UK, although it doesn't feature on the census due to people giving their religion as Wicca, Heathen, Druid etc. There is a push for pagans to start writing "Pagan" then it will get on the form. The Jedi managed it! The thing that makes me think paganism is recognised is that just as a Sikh is allowed to ride a motorbike without a helmet, a druid is allowed to carry his ceremonial sword, and get into Stonehenge for ceremonies.
laura: Ahhh, but for it to be legally recognised as a religion that would mean that any pagan society would be able to achieve charity status like churches and the likes can. This is still not the case in this country. WUK has been trying to get recognised as a charideee for ages and we've pretty much been told to get knotted. It's kinda complex and very silly with all these legal boundries and the likes, as Paganism does have some forms of recognition, but not that many.
Justin:
Name a time when engineers aren't predicting flying cars.
Marcus: I distinctly remember a day in 1997, a Tuesday I think it was, when- nope, you're right, they were doing it then too.
Marcus:
Russ Meyer - he of the trashy 60s movies with lots of big-breasted women - has bought the farm.
adam: No doubt Channel 5 will be doing a marathon of his films on Friday night to commemorate... Other than their usual reasons that it is Friday night and they can't afford anything good to put on so resort to big boob films. It's like Carry On, but without the class.
Marcus: Yay, boobies.
Dave:
I know it's geeky, but the new Warhammer 40K RTS game sounds pretty damn good. I think I'm going to be spoiled with decent games in the cold months. Bring on Half-life 2, Star Wars Battlefront, Champ 5, Football Manager and Pro Evo Soccer 4. Who needs the outside?
: I've followed the 40k dawn of war game all the way, from being a beta tester to downloading the demo last week, Its a fantastic game so far, so i'm looking forward to the full release in a couple o'days. I urge all avid gamers to buy! from play.com of course.
andy: Last post by me. :p
justin: "In the future, there is only war" - The little stings before and after EVERY ad break during EVERY star Trek on Sky One have appealed to me I must admit. I d/led the Beta except my video card is pants (roll on Friday!). My question is, how good is the control method? I like the C&C way of doing things, and I don't like any other ways. How pleased will I be?
andy: It's an improvement on C&C's control method, even generals. The 3'd 2 axis /zoom perspective is amazing, as well as the model detail. Artillery targetting the ground is superb and i cant stop playing the demo. As a fan of the tabletop games in my younger years, its the only game thats successfully brought the 40k world to the comp gaming platform. (maybe amiga's old space crusade has too). I'm using xp pro, 512mb ddr, and a 64mb radeon 7500 (3 yrs old) and the game demo runs sweet as pie. I'm booking a few days off work to play it! :p
Marcus: Ahh, Space Crusade. I loved that game. You can download it from Home of the Underdogs. (Amiga format, I think).
Dave: SPACE CRUSADE!!! I used to f*cking love that game!! I used to go to my friends house just to play it! It was so good. I was crap at it though :(
Dave:
I assume everyone has already bought the Star Wars DVD boxset. If not, buy it from play.com check out their free delivery gif in the top right corner (refresh as there are at least 2 of them).
dave: It's Flash, not a gif. My bad.
Marcus: My dad ended up ordering it for himself, saving me both the cash and the tiny bit of my soul from burning away that would happen by my buying into Lucas' demented drive to change the past interminably.
Marcus: I'll still be watching the DVDs of course. Whoops, there goes that bit of soul I was saving.
Dave:
Not sure if this has been posted before. Mmmm that's some good satire.
Marcus: I laughed my ass off.
justin: Marcus you have a cool photo of you blacked up with a Rasta hat on - send that in as they want photos.
Marcus: It wasn't that bad: I had some kind of wig on, and it was to play the part of an Indian woman in some murder mystery game. I'd forgotten about that actually - and so, hopefully, has the rest of the world.
justin: Nope - there's definentely a picture of you in a rasta hat. I'm sure your face is blacked as well. Anyway... reading the letters on this website is amazing... people totally unable to grasp it's a joke are only slightly more worrying than the people saying "is this a joke? if it is, it's funny, if not, then you are all racists bastards." Jesus. Jesus. Jesus - why didn't you make up commandments about having a sense of humour - if that was one of god's commandments I swear the world wouldn't be as f*cked up as it is now. Who's with me on this?
andy: I have that particular picture Marcus. Twas on that uni pics cd :p
Marcus: Oh yeah - that picture. It was of course some kind of satirical thing, rather than aping the Black and White Minstrel Show. Honest.
dave: I blacked up as Papa Lazarou for a fancy dress party once. It was sooo scary seeing myself in the mirror!
Marcus:
This guy has similar views to me about iPod/phone convergence. I don't really think the iPod is going anywhere and that, certainly in its curent form, it's peaking right about now. As I've said to a couple of people, in about 10 years time it'll be on an episode of "I Love 2004", with smirking D-list celebrities saying "ahh yes the iPod, remember that?".
dave: We can both go "Yes. I remember. In fact I think I've got one around here somewhere. Can you believe it only held 40GB of data!!"
Marcus: The iPod - tomorrow's spacehopper/slinky/Rubik's Cube.
adam: You think the iPod has peaked right now... is your view at all biased by the fact you just bought one? Just wondering! Does anyone know where "I remember " is filmed? I want to wait outside the studio and kick anyone who is on it right in the nuts. But they are never anyone actually famous, so I doubt I would recognise them. But I would love that, I could feature on "I remember 2004" saying "Ah yes, I remember kicking a bunch of z-list celebrities right in the face."
Marcus:
Cat Stevens refused entry to US due to being a Muslim with a beard and a funny name. Or whatever "national security grounds" means.
dave: Don't want to go all right wing on you here, but better safe than sorry.
Marcus: They probably considered "Morning Has Broken" to be a WMD.
justin: Safe than sorry? I doubt Yosuf Islam would attempt to totally discredit Islam (or harm anyone) by planting a bomb. It /is/ better to be safe than sorry, but it is also better for yanks to not be totally ignorant - all their mini stupidities to eventually add up to one big atrocity anyway.
Marcus:
Sugar found in Milky Way.
Marcus: The galaxy, not the chocolate bar. I think finding sugar in chocolate bars probably wouldn't be stretching the scientific community enough.
21/09/04
Andy:
Theres been a lot of horror films i have been sorely dissapointed with in the past and i havent been impressed with any of the new ones recently. This one however (windows media player) called 'SAW' really looks good. I found the trailer fairly disturbing, which is always a good thing. Check out the link.
Marcus: Definitely looks pretty disturbing. The IMDB likes Saw, too.
Marcus: (Apparently it's one of those films where the less you know, the better it is, so beware spoilers).
dave: Saw the trail on TV looks nasty. One for a 1st date probably.
Marcus:
The first two Japanese TV spots for the Nintendo DS. One. Two. (Via Waxy.org).
Marcus: Not very informative, it has to be said. Then again, they are in Japanese.
Marcus:
The story behind the iPod's touch sensitive scroll wheel. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't an Apple invention. (Via Slashdot).
dave: I've got an iPod.
Marcus: Good call.
Dave:
It's the Don of all drug related software. Yes it's Dope Wars!. Forget your strangely paedophilic Flash based anime porn. This is the doggie's nuts (at least it was a few years ago. Who knows what version 2.2 is like?).
dave: Damn it. I'll have to wait until after I get home to try it. =(
Marcus:
Transportation Futuristics - cool site with 1950s retro-art, all about cool futuristic ways of travelling. Flying car, anybody?
dave: It will be a happy day for me when Norwich is like the city in 5th Element and we all live in the clouds.
Marcus:
ExPlayboyBunnies.com - the site for, well, ex Playboy Bunnies. Caution: may well not be work safe (it's blocked on this network anyway).
dave: It's blocked because it's a bunch of 60 year old botoxed women standing around drinking Champagne.
Marcus: Yikes. So it is. Kind of like Friends Reunited but for grannies who used to be Playboy Bunnies.
Marcus:
The new, teensier PS2 has been officially announced. It's very thin and generally diminutive.
Marcus:
FactCheck.org is a website that scrutinises claims made by both Kerry and Bush, and finds they both talk a lot of bollocks.
Marcus: "We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics."
Marcus:
Five changes in the new Star Wars boxed set.
justin: I think these changes were probably necessary - I just wonder why he didn't wait for the new trilogy to be made before he started messing with anything. Also - I think they should have updated the screen computer graphics in the X-Wings.The original movies have pants Spectrum graphics in what are more advanced craft than the Naboo b*tches have - except on Naboo they seem to have bad ass tracking systems and full colour surround sound.
dave: I agree with you Justin. I've often mused about how technologically advanced the people 40 years before these films were. I guess that's what happens under a dictatorship, the whole of society moves back in time.
Marcus: I didn't realise the Emperor in Empire Strikes Back was played by a woman in a mask!
Marcus:
Ask Jeeves gets a makeover with some new features - you can save search results and stuff.
Marcus: It's still rubbish though. And you can't get a funny answer to "Is Jeeves gay?" any more.
20/09/04
Marcus:
A cartoon of Blair and Iraq with reference to the Northern Ireland talks.
Marcus: Interesting how, these days, The Guardian is caricaturing Blair as an evil twisted green-skinned nutter.
Marcus:
Some kind of "zombie Michael Jackson" Halloween mask. (Via BoingBoing).
Dave: This is truly terrifying.
Micheal Jackson: No you're ignorant. Stop being ignorant!
Marcus: Hehehe.
Andy:
I like pot noodles, and their current marketing ploy is truely inspirational. The current adverts on the telly tell you to visit potnoodle.com for more info. The site is magnificently designed in true.... erm 'pron style' and the banners there are fantastic. Definately worth a look.
Marcus: Dodgy badly-designed pr0n sites co-opted for instant noodle marketing purposes - whatever next?!
Marcus: And this "No to Noodle Society" site they've done to run along side it - I'm not sure whether to applaud or weep.
justin: What a brilliant web campaign - obviously done their homework. It kept me clicking around, interested - I even sent an email out to tell someone to stop them eating pot noodle. The point is, we all spent time seeing the words 'pot noodle' and are discussing it now. Good idea.
dave: Pretty smart and different. I like it.
Marcus: I like it - but the No Logo reader in me rages against clever marketing campaigns and faux laddish-matey targeting of whichever letter-coded group represents the target audience (I can't help but conjure up images of the board meeting that created this, complete with a fat, coke-snorting, cigar-chomping marketing executive going - "yeah - I like it fellas - we'll have the CBC1 and 2s eating out the palm of our hand!". I suppose on the bright side, it's the kind of campaign Nike is unlikely to adopt any time soon.
justin: That happens in all advertising campaign meetings. You, however, are their prime target.
Marcus: It didn't really work on me though. But it worked on you. They lose?
dave: It worked on me.
Justin:
John Kerry vs. George Bush. Read the Whitehouse site - Bush does a tour of the Oval office with such wit and wisdom as "there are the windows, they let the light in" and nearly says "you don't have to be mad to work here but it helps".
Justin:
Sneak peak at new Pixar animation Boundin'.
Marcus: Is this the one they're playing before The Incredibles? Cool if it is. Reminds me of when they used to play short Roger Rabbit cartoons and suchlike before movies. Ahh, those were the days.
Marcus:
Every second of Star Wars Episode IV turned into a photo mosaic of, er, nothing much. But it's still jolly impressive. (Via Metafilter).
justin: I actually did the maths on this one - and it must actually be the special edition which runs at 125 minutes. Interesting how it looks like an explosion in the middle.
Laura:
Ever wanted to be a drugs lord? Well, now's the time to get in some practice by playing this game.
Marcus: It's just like real life! My best girl got a B. Big American Party!
Dave: This is ridiculous. I find it a little unsettling. But then if you enjoy beating young anime girls and calling them f*ck-tards then ok. I guess it's pretty cool. It's no Dope wars though...
laura: the most frightening thing is that i found it on LJ in a 16 yr old American girl's journal. There are some wierd people out there.
Marcus:
I really want one of these: the Chetrooper T-shirt. Stormtrooper genetically spliced with Che Guevara. (Via BoingBoing).
Marcus: Also, badges of Michael Moore as Che Guevara. Er, quite.
justin: I read that last one as Michael Caine badges for some reason.
dave: Sorry dude. Crap.
Marcus:
School feeds its pupils Big Macs.
Marcus: The headmaster obviously hasn't seen Super Size Me.