Friday, September 23, 2005

Bestseller in Mideast: Barbie With a Prayer Mat

DAMASCUS, Syria (NY Times) – In the last year or so, Barbie dolls have all but disappeared from the shelves of many toy stores in the Middle East. In their place, there is Fulla, a dark-eyed doll with, as her creator puts it, "Muslim values." Fulla roughly shares Barbie's size and proportions, but steps out of her shiny pink box wearing a black abaya and matching head scarf. She is named after a type of jasmine that grows in the Levant, and although she has an extensive and beautiful wardrobe (sold separately, of course), Fulla is usually displayed wearing her modest "outdoor fashion." Fulla's creator, NewBoy Design Studio, based in Syria, introduced her in November 2003, and she has quickly become a best seller all over the region. It is nearly impossible to walk into a corner shop in Syria, Egypt, Jordan or Qatar without encountering Fulla breakfast cereal or Fulla chewing gum or seeing little girls pedaling down the street on their Fulla bicycles, all in trademark "Fulla pink." Young girls here are obsessed with Fulla, and conservative parents who would not dream of buying Barbies for their daughters seem happy to pay for a modest doll who has her own tiny prayer rug, in pink felt. Children who want to dress like their dolls can buy a matching, girl-size prayer rug and cotton scarf set, all in pink. Fulla is not the first doll to wear the hijab, a traditional Islamic head covering worn outside the house so a woman's hair cannot be seen by men outside her family.

Fawaz Abidin, the Fulla brand manager for NewBoy, said NewBoy understands the Arab market in a way that its competitors have not. "This isn't just about putting the hijab on a Barbie doll," Mr. Abidin said. "You have to create a character that parents and children will want to relate to. Our advertising is full of positive messages about Fulla's character. She's honest, loving, and caring, and she respects her father and mother." Though Fulla will never have a boyfriend doll like Barbie's Ken, Mr. Abidin said, a Doctor Fulla and a Teacher Fulla will be introduced soon. "These are two respected careers for women that we would like to encourage small girls to follow," he said. On the children's satellite channels popular in the Arab world, Fulla advertising is incessant. In a series of animated commercials, a sweetly high-pitched voice sings the Fulla song in Arabic as a cartoon Fulla glides across the screen, saying her prayers as the sun rises, baking a cake to surprise her friend, or reading a book at bedtime. Young Syrian actresses also present Fulla silverware, Fulla stationery, Fulla luggage and, of course, new accessories for Fulla herself. In Damascus, a Fulla doll sells for about $16, in a country where average per capita income hovers around $100 per month. And yet, Fulla flies off the shelves. Fatima Ghayeh, who at 15 is a few years past playing with dolls herself, said she felt "sad that no one plays with Barbie anymore." But, pressed for further explanation, Ms. Ghayeh appeared to change her mind. "My friends and I loved Barbie more than anything," she said. "But maybe it's good that girls have Fulla now. If the girls put scarves on their dolls when they're young, it might make it easier when their time comes. Sometimes it is difficult for girls to put on the hijab. They feel it is the end of childhood." But Jyza Sybai , a lanky, tomboyish Saudi 10-year-old, visiting Syria with her family for a short vacation, disagreed. "All my friends have Fulla now, but I still like Barbie the best," Jyza said. "She has blond hair and cool clothes. Every single girl in Saudi looks like Fulla, with the dark hair and the black scarf. What's so special about that?"

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Fla. car theft suspects return to scene to gas up

ASSOCIATED PRESS

PENSACOLA, Fla. - If you're going to steal a gas station employee's car, don't come back an hour later to get a fill-up.

Investigators say that bit of logic escaped Artemio Castillo and Ernesto Garcia, who were arrested Tuesday night near the Parade gas station.

Employee Pam Pease, 49, was sweeping the parking area when she noticed a familiar car pull up to pump No. 7.

It was her blue 1994 Ford Escort with a missing hubcap. She had reported it stolen less than an hour earlier.

"It just blew my mind, but there they were," Pease said. "I'm glad it was low on gas."

Another attendant, Vince Nguyen, recognized suspects Castillo, 49, and Garcia, 41, both without known addresses, as the men who had asked him for a ride to Mississippi as he arrived at work shortly before Pease noticed her car was missing.

Nguyen asked the men in Spanish why they had returned and they replied that they needed gas, Pease said. He shut off the engine and offered the men water while other employees called 911.

The suspects fled on foot and Nguyen followed them through a back alley, Pease said. Two Escambia County sheriff's deputies and a police dog then took up the chase, catching one suspect in some brush and another across the street from the station.

The suspects remained today at the county jail on grand theft auto and resisting arrest charges. Bond was set at $7,500 for each. Jail records did not indicate whether they had lawyers and interviews are prohibited. The public defender's office does not comment on pending cases.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Dane Cook pimps Waiting...

URL: Dane Cook just Bloggin' Away!
By Dane Cook
Hi fans of blogs and of the information superhighway. Dane Cook here. I play Floyd. Floyd is one of the cooks working in the kitchen at Shenanigan's restaurant. And he likes to mess with peoples heads. He's a real charmer though and when he's not working there he helps kids at a camp nearby. This is not in the movie and is never indicated but I know its true.He also drives a one of a kind Ferrari prototype that was given to him by a dying uncle who was owed a favor by a guy he knew that worked at Ferrari. Again this is NOT a scene in the film but I allude to it in the way I serve up food orders. It's all in the acting. The subtle moments that make you think ... "hmmm I bet this guy has a one of a kind automobile and ... I don't know .... helps children in need when he's not working." I also want to say to anyone in high school that was a jerk to me I forgive you. It's easy to do that because I'm in this movie.Dane Cookwww.DANECOOK.com

Piano


Piano, originally uploaded by yojayy.

I took this photo with a 6 second exposure in the dark in the middle of the night. I think it came out ok.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Pasteurization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Milk Pasteurization

Pasteurization is typically associated with milk, first suggested by Franz von Soxhlet in 1886. There are two widely used methods to pasteurize milk: high temperature/short time (HTST), and ultra-high temperature (UHT). HTST is by far the most common method. Milk simply labelled "pasteurized" is usually treated with the HTST method, whereas milk labelled "ultra-pasteurized" must be treated with the UHT method. HTST involves holding the milk at a temperature of 161.5 degrees Fahrenheit (or 72 degrees Celsius) for at least 15 seconds. UHT involves holding the milk at a temperature of 280 °F or 138 °C for at least two seconds.

Trimobius Disney Cabinet Original post

Originally, I formed the FDC (Future Disney Cabinet) as a loose online gag to see what kind of support I could get if I planned a mock Disney coup back in 1993. I later used this as the foundation for this bizarre mockery of a newsgroup troll who wouldn't stop crying about Disney stealing his *MAGICAL* hat, the TRIMOBIUS.

*****************************************************************************

Claude Nichols wrote:

> Enough of you have been asking about FDC through e-mail lately that I
> decided to post some of the answers to the questions that have been
> asked!


> So, hang on tight....heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go! :)


> ***************************************************************************
> **************
> What is FDC?
> **************
> FDC stands for Future Disney Cabinet. Let me explain. :)


> A long time ago, actually YEARS ago...on Rec.Arts.Disney newsgroup
> a guy named Sean Squire decided (jokingly) that he would like to



Actually, what he meant to write was

Sean Squier...


Sean SQUIRE is my evil twin responsible for the formation of the TDC,
or TRIMOBIUS DISNEY CABINET, a team devoted to the production, marketing,
and trademark/copyright protection of an amazing new piece of headwear,
the TRIMOBIUS! Apparently, some inventor came up with the idea of a reversible,
reversible, reversible, reversible, reversible, reversible hat (6 TIMES,
can you believe it?), gave it to Disney, and then mysteriously disappeared.


Well, with amazing luck, and Disney definitely has its share, this magical
new hat started sweeping through Disney Stores across the nation, creating a
consumer panic the likes of which we haven't seen since the introduction of
the Cabbage Patch Doll. The TDC predicts sales of this phenomenal new hat
will soon outpace revenue generated by Disney's fledgling motion picture division,
and is therefore preparing for the future. In true 'Disney Cabinet' style, the
TDC is making this official call for support, hoping that by filling key
positions early, a clean transition of management can be made painlessly and
seamlessly, when the time is right.


With the overwhelming response generated by what can only be called TRIMOBIUS
fever at this point, Disney is faced with an important decision. The TDC
believes Disney has no choice but to create a fourth company division to
complement THEME PARKS, MOTION PICTURES, and CONSUMER PRODUCTS......MAGICAL
REVERSIBLE HEADWEAR! And when that decision is made, the TDC will be there,
with the skills and resources necessary to lead the new division into the next
millenium.


Currently held positions:


Sean Squire - Evil Twin and Future President - The Magical Reversible Headwear Division


Currently the TDC is in need of the following positions:


Director of Marketing
Director of Production - Domestic
Director of Production - International
Phenomenally Loony inventor to create matching socks and possible evening wear
Vice President in charge of Legal Affairs
Hundreds of Patent and Copyright Attorneys
A couple more Patent and Copyright Attorneys, just to be safe
Director of Licensing (to secure rights for numerous opportunities including:
Cabbage Patch TRIMOBIUS
TRIMOBIUS for Barbie
G.I. Joe with TRIMOBIUS Jungle Pack (TRIMOBIUS socks sold separately)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TRIMOBIUS sewer disguise
NFL TRIMOBIUS, with 6 of your favorite teams)
Director of Motion Picture development
(for 'A Mouse and his Magical Reversible Hat - The TRIMOBIUS Story', Touchstone Pictures
starring Steve Guttenberg as the Loony inventor
special appearance by Gary Coleman as 'the hat')


Please respond to fdc...@reedycreek.stanford.edu to apply for the above positions, or just post
that you claimed it and fight it out amongst yourselves.


As always, new positions can be created at the discretion of the reader.


'In the SPIRIT of the TDC - REVERSE!!'


Sean Squier
(Future CEO - The Walt Disney Company)


(Imagine if he'd spelled my first name wrong too! =-) )


BTW, what's this MICKEYGATE thing all about...? =-)

Trimobius Disney Cabinet posts

This was an old group I created to deride a troll in the rec.arts.disney newsgroup back in the 90's. I have copied some of the posts here to preserve them (although google will do that forever I am sure) and to make them easier to find than to search the newsgroup archives. I am pasting them here without any special formatting:


I checked out DEJANEWS and waded through EVERY single TRIMOBIUS(R) post I
could find and came up with the following list of all things TRIMOBIUS(R)
the TDC has created thus far! I have completely left off all authors
since it was basically too much work to include them. If you see
something you've contributed, be proud! But this collected work can only
truly be credited to all the members of the TDC!! So here it is, the
fiscal '97 production plan for the TDC!


====================================================================
MAGICAL REVERSIBLE HEADWEAR - The new WDC Company Business Unit


Represented on the internet by ‘the TRIMOBIUS ® DISNEY CABINET, a team
devoted to the production, marketing, and trademark/copyright protection
of an amazing new piece of headwear, the TRIMOBIUS! ®


Product Division


The original ideas:


Cabbage Patch TRIMOBIUS ®
TRIMOBIUS ® for Barbie
G.I. Joe with TRIMOBIUS ® Jungle Pack (TRIMOBIUS ® socks sold separately)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TRIMOBIUS ® sewer disguise
NFL ® TRIMOBIUS ®, with 6 of your favorite teams


Plus:


TWINKLE TIARA -- turns inside out 6 ways to reveal a crown imitating the
ones worn by Miss Universe, Miss America, Miss Teen America, Miss World,
Mrs. America, and Miss Piggy.


BARBIE'S DREAM SWEATBAND -- Matches all 6 of Barbie's Dream Leotards with
a simple twist of the wrist.


BARBIE'S TRIMOBILIAN ® HOME -- It's an Airstream! It's a trailer! It's a
camper that sleeps 487 dolls! It's a split-level ranch! A colonial! And
a tractor!


INSIDE-OUT KEN -- "What's that, Barb? You're tired of me? You wish I
had red hair? You want me a foot taller, and 88 points smarter on the
Mensa scale? Baby, your wish is my command. I'll just turn myself inside
out for you."


BARBIE's TRIMOBIAN ® Treats so your kids can have a test party. They
are a hazelnut, inside a chocolate cherry, inside a caramel custard,
inside a Rice Krispie Treat, inside a sponge cake, inside a Creamsicle.


G.I. Joe all-purpose weapon - a kind of slingshot/Bowie
knife/grenade/shotgun/revolver/H-bomb. We could make it in a folding
design; the Swiss Army knife of 20th century war toys.


GI Joe TRIMOBIAN ® Backpack and Weapon Holder Thingie-Device


GI Joe TRIMOBIAN ® Tactical Nuclear Explosive Device


Official TRIMOBIUS ® shirt (its a polo! its a parka! its a serape! its a
poncho! its a toaster oven! its a Wonder Bra!).


A recipe for a phyllo pastry hat that turns from a baklava balaclava to a
napoleon kepi to a caramel kaffiyeh to a toffee tam to a mortarboard
mousse and finally to a cunning little cream puff cloche.


TRIMOBIAL ® caftan will turn into a dashiki, a poncho, a serape, a pup
tent, and also serve as a covering to Mickey's Toon Town Fair.


TRIMOBIUS ® Mickey Plush
1. Mickey as Steamboat Willie is the first plush you see of Mickey, then
he *magically* turns inside-out and into...
2. Plane Crazy Mickey, brave aviator! [Note: Some people find that Plane
Crazy Mickey magically appears *before* Mickey as Steamboat Willie.]
3. Turn it inside out again and Skating Mickey appears, gallantly keeping
Minnie's muff warm.
4. Next, Mickey magically turns from black and white to full color as
Sorcerer Mickey, complete with *MAGICAL* Magical Hat.
5. Another permutation and there's Prince and the Pauper Mickey, in which
Mickey turns tail on the castle and turns his life inside out,
masquerading as a commoner.
6. And the final version of Mickey is Runaway Brain Mickey, in which his
brain turns inside out from all the inside-out, inside-out, inside-out,
inside-out, inside-out, inside-out stuff!


Hi there toy! I see you are in your first stage -- You're the top! Now
I'll turn you inside out, and... You're the Coliseum! Ooops...slipped
there and you reverted back to your first form -- You're the top! Just a
quick flip inside out again and... You're the Louvre Museum! And now,
another flip and... You're a melody from a symphony by Strauss! Wow!
That's quite *magical* how you went from a solid to a song melody.
Huh-ha! Another flip and now you are poetry: You're a Bendel bonnet, a
Shakespeare sonnet. Now, for the final touch -- a quick inside-out flip
and...You're Mickey Mouse!


TRIMOBIAN ® rum punch


Disney TRIMOBIUS ® Happy Meal! It's six courses in one! It's a
hamburger, it's french fries, it's a soft drink, it's a dinner roll, and
it's a dessert! Simply turn your plate inside-out after each course to
get to the next one! When you're done, turn it inside-out one last time
to claim your cheap plastic prize! But it's not only a cheap plastic
prize! It's a MAGICAL magical plastic prize...a car! a truck! an action
figure! a plane! a boat! a muff!


TRIMOBIS ® fish - A MAGICAL magical fish...it's a bass! A carp! A tuna! A
catfish! A HERRING! A muff!


TRIMOBIUS ® yard tool...it's a lawmmower! A weed wacker (not unlike mr.
Pretzel...)! A backhoe! A shovel! A trowel! A muff!


TRIMOBIUS (R) *magical* magical sheets. They can be changed six times
without ever taking them off the bed.


TRIMOBIUS ® Terry Cloth - it's a bath towel/hand
towel/washcloth/robe/beach towel/muff.


TRIMOBIAL ® Tunic will serve all these locations, allowing one to
gracefully blend in with the teeming populace that surrounds. With deft
folding and repositioning it becomes:


1. a coolie jacket, or for the adventurous, that loincloth Mowgli wears
2. a sombrero (with optional sequins)
3. a Valkyrie helmet
4. a flannel shirt
5. an inner tube
6. a country frock decorated with (naturally) Pansies, Poppies, and
Petunias, de rigeur for evenings at the
Laughing Place.


TRIMOBIUS ® Timon & Puumbah Adventures: CD ROM for
Windows, CD ROM for MacIntosh, Game cardtridge for Super NES,
for Sega, for Gameboy and for Commodore 64!


TRIMOBIUS ® *MAGICAL* hangover/upset tummy/diarrhea/sinus
infection/athlete's foot/dandruff remedy.


TRIMOBIAN ® Pony Express/1st Class Mail/UPS/Carrier Pigeon/FedEx/Pitzel's
Pack Mules. If they arrive inside out, just pop them in the microwave for
six (6) minutes exactly.


TRIMOBIUS ® boxer shorts, when manipulated inside out, reverse side in,
backwards, forwards, sideways, and slightly askew, allow the wearer to not
change their boxer shorts for six (yes that's right, six!) days.


TRIMOBIUS ® undergarments, including TRIMOBIUS ® frilly panties, TRIMOBIUS
® briefs, and TRIMOBIUS ® support pantyhose.


TDC Motion Picture Division


The original project:


'A Mouse and his Magical Reversible Hat - The TRIMOBIUS ® Story',
Touchstone Pictures starring Steve Guttenberg as the Loony inventor
special appearance by Gary Coleman as 'the hat')


Plus:


I can sign the remaining beatles to be in "Magical Mystery hat"
“I am the hatman, I am the hatman, I am TRIMOBIUS ® Koo-koo koo-koo"


How about Will Smith and Bill Pullman in TRIMOBIUS ® DAY (or TD ®), a film
about a *MAGICAL* magical space ship that attacks earth....turns inside
out, and inside out, and inside out...


Or "That Darn TRIMOBIUS ®", in which Disney spies, intent on tracking
down the TRIMOBIUS ® hat, get caught up in mirth and wackiness.


The TRIMOBIUS ® Parent Trap - Hayley Mills will also be in this one but
this time she will play sextuplets instead of twins.


"Honey, I Reversed The Hat"- starring wrangling Rick Moranis.


The first entry in Disney's new line of MAGICAL *magical* magical
TRIMOBIUS ® animated films: "The Six Hundred and Six Dalmatians." (Rated
NC-3D: Viewers with special 3-D glasses are strongly cautioned against
viewing this film.)


TRIMOBIAN ® Double Triple Companion of Honor Award, pinned to your lapel
or just below the knee of your pants should we not be upright at the time.


TRIMOBIUS ® Walt Disney World Inside Out, Inside Out, Inside Out, Inside
Out, Inside Out, Inside Out. Hosted by TRIMOBIUS ® host, George Foreman -
he's in Japan eating sushi, he's in Mexico eating tacos, he's in Italy
eating fettucinni, he's in Morocco eating couscous, he's in Germany eating
sauerkraut, he's in China eating moo goo gai pan....


Theme Parks


TRIMOBIUSLAND ® containing:


TRIMOBIUS ® Mountain -- A high-speed thrill ride with a series of loops
which turn you inside-out, inside-out, inside-out, inside-out, inside-out,
inside-out, until you puke from being SICK OF HEARING ABOUT IT!!!!! (Note
that, of course, riders will spend the entire time in the dark...)


THE RANTIN’ RIVER -- A wild, meandering ride which makes no sense, but in
which the passengers are submitted to incessant assault by random barbs
and arrows.


SNOPES SNIPERS -- A *Magical* magical simulator, where riders are forced
to dodge the attacks of the evil Utter Liars, who spew venom unceasingly,
but with no particular target in mind


LEGAL LA-LA LAND -- A *Non-Magical* magical stage show featuring mythical
lawyers attempting to sing and dance their way into the US Patent Office
wearing ugly floppy hats


PITZEL HOLLOW -- A *Magical* non-magical boat ride through the mind of the
TRIMOBIUS' ® inventor (designers are concerned that this ride is
extrememly short, and contains nothing)


DISNEY DODGEBALL -- A *Non-Magical* non-magical experience where happy
riders in mouse ears attempt to avoid being hurt by scathing words hurled
at them by unhappy would-be illusionists


And of course, the whole place will be smack-dab in the middle of
FantasyLand...


TRIMOBIAN ® TUNNEL SYSTEM, connecting Cinderella Castle at WDW with six
(6) of the most important sites in the World:


1. The eggroll cart outside Jungle Cruise.
2. The film loop in El Rio del Tiempo where the Mexican vendors sell you
trinkets from screen to screen.
3. "Yeww...arr not the firrst...to pass this way..."
4. First row of rockers at the Wilderness Lodge lobby.
5. Castaway Creek.
6. The upside-down possums on Splash Mountain.


Disney's All-New TRIMOBIAL ® Parade Spectacular! Bigger than the
Electrical Parade! Better than Spectromagic! It's SIX parades in one!
This is not just a magical magical parade; it's a MAGICAL magical magical
parade. When it reaches the end of its route, it turns around and becomes
a whole new parade! Three different ending points make for six unique
parade experiences! The All-New TRIMOBIAL ® Parade Spectacular! can also
be used as a hat, a puppet, and a muff.


Resorts


TRIMOBIUS ® Disney Resort.


It will be the ultimate in resort hopping. As you sleep in your room each
night the room and the rest of the resort changes into another one. It
will also come in 2 price levels. The first will feature the TRIMOBIUS ®
All Stars Sports, then the TRIMOBIUS ® All Star Music, then the TRIMOBIUS
® Caribbean Beach , then the TRIMOBIUS ® Dixie Landings, Then the
TRIMOBIUS ® Port Orleans and finally the TRIMOBIUS ® Fort Wilderness. The
next level will feature the TRIMOBIUS ® monorail resorts of Polynesian,
Grand Floridian, and Contemporary. Also featured are the Wilderness
Lodge, Yacht and Beach Club. All who book early, pay in advance, and use
the Food n Fun card will also have their resort change into the new
Boardwalk at no extra charge. Packages will soon be available to also
include the TRIMOBIUS ® Old Key West and the TRIMOBIUS ® Disney Institute.
For those who do not want to stay inside the TRIMOBIUS ® Disney World,
there is available vacation packages on the TRIMOBIUS ® motels on 192.


I may make this into a web page, perhaps a TROMOBIUS(R) page. UNless one
already exists.


In the spirit of the TDC - 'REVERSE'


Sean Squier [Squire]
(Future CEO - The Walt Disney Company) [evil twin founder of the TDC]
sean_squ...@wda.disney.com

Flying Spaghetti Monster


fsm game end, originally uploaded by yojayy.

Ahhhhh.

The Game

New York Times article about Pastafarianism

Thursday, September 15, 2005

The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty

"The book features:
* Nearly 200 snowflake photographs some of the best snowflake photographs ever taken!
* Numerous full-page high-resolution images that reveal the minute details of snow crystal design and structure.
* A richly illustrated field guide to falling snow that describes the different kinds of snowflakes.
* A brief history of snowflake observations and study.
* A close look at what snowflakes are, how they form, and why they look like they do.
The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty
written by Kenneth Libbrecht
photography by Patricia Rasmussen
published by Voyageur Press, October 2003
112 pages, 8.5x10 inches, hardcover"


This book looks cool, but I'm more impressed with the photo: What you'll look like sitting with the book open on your lap. This could be you!

Monday, September 12, 2005

Bruce Lee: Enter the Dragon..of peace?

CNN.com - New Bosnia icon: Bruce Lee - Sep 12, 2005: "SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (Reuters) -- The ethnically divided Bosnian city of Mostar has agreed to erect a new symbol of unity -- a statue of kung fu legend Bruce Lee, worshipped by Muslims, Serbs and Croats.
A group of enthusiasts came up with the idea of honoring the childhood hero of the city's ethnic groups in 2003, on the 30th anniversary of his death. They launched the project, found donors and waited a year for the city's approval."

Is the power out in Southern California?

My sister just called and there is a massive loss of power. What does the world know about this?

Video Game Olympics!

This is why I suck at Counter-Strike. Plus, I'm 35 with a kid, so my hours are a little more limited still.

The gamers themselves, overwhelmingly middle-class white or Asian males in their early 20s or late teens, almost always come to a career-ending point in their lives where they can no longer dedicate the long hours necessary to achieve video game stardom.

“It’s called college,” Suttles said.

Rock, Paper Scissors 15?!



ROCK POUNDS OUT
FIRE, CRUSHES SCISSORS, SNAKE,
HUMAN,
WOLF, SPONGE, BLOCKS (GROWTH OF) TREE.



FIRE MELTS SCISSORS,
BURNS PAPER, SNAKE, HUMAN,
TREE, WOLF & SPONGE.



SCISSORS SWISH THROUGH AIR, CARVE TREE,
CUT PAPER, SNAKE, HUMAN,
WOLF & SPONGE.



SNAKE BITES HUMAN & WOLF,
SWALLOWS SPONGE, NESTS IN TREE & PAPER,
BREATHES AIR, DRINKS WATER.



HUMAN PLANTS TREE, TAMES WOLF,
CLEANS WITH SPONGE,
WRITES PAPER, BREATHES
AIR, DRINKS WATER, SLAYS DRAGON.



TREE SHELTERS WOLF & DRAGON, OUTLIVES SPONGE,
BECOMES PAPER, PRODUCES AIR, DRINKS WATER,
IMPRISONS DEVIL.



WOLF CHEWS UP SPONGE,
& PAPER, BREATHES
AIR, DRINKS WATER, OUTRUNS DRAGON & LIGHTNING,
BITES DEVIL's HEINY.



SPONGE SOAKS PAPER, USES
AIR POCKETS, ABSORBS WATER, CLEANSES DEVIL & DRAGON,
CLEANS GUN, CONDUCTS LIGHTNING.



PAPER FANS AIR,
COVERS ROCK, FLOATS ON WATER, REBUKES DEVIL & DRAGON,
OUTLAWS GUN, DEFINES LIGHTNING.



AIR BLOWS OUT FIRE,
ERODES ROCK, EVAPORATES WATER, CHOKES DEVIL,
TARNISHES GUN, FREEZES DRAGON, CREATES LIGHTNING.



WATER DROWNS DEVIL & DRAGON, ERODES ROCK, PUTS OUT
FIRE, RUSTS SCISSORS & GUN,
CONDUCTS LIGHTNING.



DRAGON COMMANDS DEVIL, BREATHES LIGHTNING &
FIRE, RESTS ON ROCK, IMMUNE TO SCISSORS &
GUN, SPAWNS SNAKE.



DEVIL HURLS ROCK, BREATHS
FIRE, IMMUNE TO SCISSORS & GUN, CASTS LIGHTNING,
EATS SNAKES, POSSESSES HUMAN.



LIGHTNING MELTS GUN & SCISSORS,
SPLITS ROCK & TREE, STARTS FIRE,
STRIKES SNAKE & HUMAN.



GUN TARGETS ROCK & TREE,
FIRES, OUTCLASSES SCISSORS,
SHOOTS SNAKE, HUMAN & WOLF.



Each gesture beats out seven others, and is beaten by the remaining seven.

...SO...will there ever be an RPS-17 and beyond? Maybe it's up to YOU...

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Creepy "lifelike" dolls


I'm not quite sure why they even bothered to make an acronym out of MAMRH. ??! Reminds me a little of my beloved NAMBLA.

Friday, September 09, 2005

Now THIS is irrational

History of the theory of irrational numbers
The discovery of irrational numbers is usually attributed to Pythagoras, more specifically to the Pythagorean Hippasus of Metapontum, who produced a (most likely geometrical) proof of the irrationality of the square root of 2. The story goes that Hippasus discovered irrational numbers when trying to represent the square root of 2 as a fraction (proof below). However Pythagoras believed in the absoluteness of numbers, and could not accept the existence of irrational numbers. He could not disprove their existence through logic, but his beliefs would not accept the existence of irrational numbers and so he sentenced Hippasus to death by drowning.

Recursive Acronyms

I never knew these had a category:

A recursive acronym is an acronym (or occasionally, a backronym) which refers to itself in the expression for which it stands, similar to a recursive abbreviation. Though, because of their lack of a termination condition, perhaps a more accurate term would be circular acronym.

The earliest example is perhaps the credit card VISA, which was named in 1976 as a recursive acronym for VISA International Service Association.

In computing, it soon became a hackish (and especially MIT) tradition to choose acronyms and abbreviations which referred humorously to themselves or to other abbreviations. Perhaps the earliest example in this context, from about 1977 or 1978, is TINT ("TINT Is Not TECO"), an editor for MagicSix. This inspired the two MIT Lisp Machine editors called EINE ("EINE Is Not Emacs") and ZWEI ("ZWEI Was EINE Initially"). (Note that "eine" and "zwei" are German for "[female] one" and "two".)

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Waiting Movie Posters - long





Eiffel Tower


eiffel tower 2, originally uploaded by John Gusky.

I have a similar picture I took when I was 16, but it is not nearly as well executed. The Eiffel Tower looks great from any angle.

Ultimate Life List - Part 1

I was inspired after a recent trip to NYC to list the things I should do with my life. A lot of these I've already done, but the list grows every day. I plan to share pieces of my hand written list from the plane over a few random posts. Part 1 is focused on mainly on NYC and is open for massive debate I'm sure. Free inspiration: just add effort.

Things you should do in NYC

Ride the NYC Subway

*Everyline
*Be serenaded by a street performer
Go to the top of the Empire State Building
Go to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Live in a borrough
*All the borroughs
Work in Mahattan
Ride in a NYC taxi
*w/a stranger
*to/from the airport
Broadway show
*comp tix
*TKTS
Ice skate in Rockafeller Center
MET
MOMA
Guggenheim
A Rockette
Listen to a homeless person talk to themselves
Walk Central Park
Disney Store 5th Ave
FAO Schwartz
Stay @ the Plaza
*cigar in Oak Room
Stay @ Waldorff Astoria
See the Macy's Day Parade Live
Visit Ground Zero
Fly into JFK
Fly into LGA
Guinness @ Paddy Reilly's
Little Italy
Chinatown
SOho
Village
Wall St
See a show at Carngie Hall
Knicks Game
Nets Game
Yankess Game
Giants Game
Islanders Game
Rangers Game
Mets Game
Brooklyn Cyclones game
Letterman
*Be on it
Times Square
*New Year's Eve
Off Broadway Show
*Drinks w/ cast after
Eat a street hotdog
Eat a street pretzel
Drive a car in Manhattan
Cupcake @ Cupcake Cafe
Eat sushi
Eat Shabu Shabu

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Peanuts anyone?

2,400 Keesler Miss. Air Force students, enjoy 1st class seating on C-17 Globemaster IIIs, for ride to Texas

Friday, September 02, 2005

FUH2



Or...


Coolest. guy. ever.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Bricks meet cars


2072733, originally uploaded by John Hay.

This is a lot of bricks. From the flickr Hurricane Katrina photo cluster.

New Orleans


New Orleans, originally uploaded by negatendo.

From flickr.