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| MC Frontalot's Final Boss: nerdcore par excellence Posted: 02 Oct 2008 09:44 PM CDT .jpg) MC Frontalot's new nerdcore album, Final Boss, is a perfect, catchy collection of raps and sketches about video-games, Japanese manga fandom, voting machines, and other important subjects. Of especial note is a completely, convulsively hilarious sketch with Wil Wheaton about Wil and Frontalot's respective career-choices. The CD's out in a month or so, but if you pre-order it now, you get immediate delivery of the CD in MP3 form, with a lyrics sheet and hi-rez versions of the art. Now these are lyrics: I've got a new dance called The Margaret Thatcher.MC Frontalot's Final Boss (Thanks, Quinn!) |
| Posted: 02 Oct 2008 09:18 PM CDT Gavin sez, Kelly Link's stories are some of the smartest, weirdest, freshest material being written in any literary field. The title story is just about the perfect explication of why fandom is so totally satisfying. Two of these stories won a Nebula award in the year of publication -- that's half the short story awards to one writer's stories from one book. This release coincides with the release of Kelly's new story collection, Pretty Monsters, which is every bit as good. Magic for Beginners downloads, Buy Magic for Beginners on Amazon See also: |
| Court refuses to expose sat-receiver owners to Echostar's vengeful rage Posted: 02 Oct 2008 07:56 PM CDT Ars Technica's Julian Sanchez sez, "Just wrote up a piece on a pretty fascinating case, in which EFF filed an amicus brief, brought by Echostar under the DMCA against a maker of satellite receivers. Since DMCA makes liability turn on whether a device has a 'significant commercial purpose' that doesn't involve IP violation, Echostar had wanted to get the names of hundreds of thousands of people who'd bought receiver boxes. Also raises the troubling question of whether making an open/hackable device exposes you to liability if enough people misuse that device." Privacy interests are typically afforded deference only to the extent that they implicate some tangible harm. The same standard generally obtains in privacy tort law, Lohmann told Ars, but here the court was prepared to afford the privacy claim added weight, because it was being invoked "as a shield, not a sword"—that is, to block future disclosure, not to win damages for past disclosure—on behalf of third parties not directly involved in the lawsuit.Court: Echostar can't get Coolsat customer data in DMCA case (Thanks, Julian!) |
| Bizarre walking strategies of artifically evolved organisms Posted: 02 Oct 2008 07:53 PM CDT Here's a mesmerizing ten-minute video from the Darwin@Home project (which harnesses idle computers to simulate evolution) that shows the different, bizarre randomly evolved walking-strategies that have emerged from the simulations. Darwin at Home in Ten Minutes (via Kottke) |
| EVE Online's economist speaks -- economics as an experimental science Posted: 02 Oct 2008 07:49 PM CDT This week's BusinessWeek Innovation of the Week podcast talks with Eyjolfur Guomundsson, the house economist for EVE Online, a massively multiplayer space game based on establishing and disrupting interplanetary trade. What's fascinating here is getting the perspective of an economist whose job is to design an economy that's "fun" -- or at least engrossing. It's not often that you get to hear economics described as an experimental science. An Economist on the Virtual Economy |
| Online auction "game" exploits cognitive blindspots to make you overspend Posted: 02 Oct 2008 07:46 PM CDT Here's a fascinating analysis of the mechanics of Swoop, an online auction game (they call it "entertainment shopping") (!) that's designed to be a Skinner box for separating you from your money while confounding your judgement: Pure Profit: A Look at Swoop (via Design with Intent) |
| Free Software and Open Source Symposium in Toronto, Oct 24/25 Posted: 02 Oct 2008 07:41 PM CDT Once again, it's time for Toronto's excellent Free Software and Open Source Symposium, where students are admitted for a mere $30 and others for $75: Welcome to Free Software and Open Source Symposium 2008 |
| Hustler producing Sarah Palin adult film spoof: "NAILIN' PAYLIN" Posted: 02 Oct 2008 07:45 PM CDT Larry Flynt's at it again: According to HUSTLER, "Nailin' Paylin" is a "naughty adventure to the wild side of that sexy Alaska governor," featuring "girl-on-girl lovin'," "nailing the Russians, who come knocking on her back-door," and a younger Palin getting seduced by her college creationist professor who "will explain a 'big bang' theory even she can't deny!" Also included: a three-way hardcore sex scene starring Palin/Paylin, Hillary Clinton, and Condoleeza Rice.TheFrisky.com Exclusive!: Details Of The Sarah Palin Spoof Adult Video (the Frisky, thanks Susannah Breslin) |
| Canadian election Copyright Pledge gains steam Posted: 02 Oct 2008 07:36 PM CDT More and more of Canada's electoral candidates are signing onto the Copyright Pledge, just one week after its release. The initial reaction to the pledge has been very strong. I am pleased to advise that the Green Party (as a party) has agreed to the pledge. In addition, the following NDP MPs have added their names as supporters:Read that pledge again -- can you believe that there are candidates in this election who can find something to object to in those three points? Copyright Pledge Gains Momentum - Green Party and NDP Candidates On Board |
| HOWTO Put a hidden radio-prompter on Sarah Palin during the debate Posted: 02 Oct 2008 08:23 PM CDT DailyKos's Ipsos has a great technical post on the logistics of sneaking an earpiece onto Sarah Palin at the debate, from the physics of spectrum use and antenna design to earpiece-hiding techniques and more: 3. Where do you put the person doing the cueing?How they'd put a bug in Palin's ear tonight (Thanks, Bill!) |
| Harry Belafonte's political ballad about the DNC -- footage from the lost Smothers Brothers season Posted: 02 Oct 2008 07:26 PM CDT Lumnifer sez, "This clip of Harry Belafonte singing an extended political song, 'Don't Stop The Carnival,' with a green screen backdrop of footage from the disastrous 1968 Democratic National Convention, was originally meant to air as part of the season 3 premiere of the 1968 Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Many people would be surprised to know that both Belafonte and the Smothers Brothers were very political - in fact, the Smothers Brothers series was cancelled that season for being too overtly political, even going so far as to insult the president and criticize the war! *gasp*" Doesn't surprise me in the least -- I think being political is what the Smothers Brothers are famous for, no? In any event, Belafonte and the Smothers are both gigantic personal favorites, and this (based, it seems on "Global Carnival?") is a great song. Harry Belafonte - Don't Stop The Carnival (Thanks, Luminifer!) |
| Restaurant features "wireless service bell button" to summon waiters at your command Posted: 03 Oct 2008 12:51 AM CDT  Yesterday, David and I enjoyed fine lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Urbana, Illinois. The experience was made even more pleasant because of this "wireless service bell button" at our table. Note its four buttons: Waiter, Drink, Money (bill), and Chopsticks (food). Each button produced a different tone, which emanated from a speaker in the kitchen. When I pressed the drink button, the waiter appeared in seconds holding a pitcher of ice water. When I pressed the Money button, he came right out with the check. If Sarah Palin can promise in tonight's debate that -- if elected -- she'll sign legislation requiring all restaurants in the country to install tabletop wireless service bell button systems, she gets my vote. |
| LP Cover Lover: Music to Sell Valves By Posted: 02 Oct 2008 06:51 PM CDT  Another winner from the fantabulous LP Cover Lover photoblog. Here, a woman is presented as a valve of some kind, and adorned with buttons emblazoned with double entendres, such as "I LIKE ACID!" I only wish LP Cover Lover also had links to the music from the albums they feature. And if yesterday's pick from LP Cover Lover didn't satisfy your quota for big-haired Christian women vocalist trios, this ought to hold you. |
| The world's greatest greasy hair pomade Posted: 02 Oct 2008 06:45 PM CDT  My dear old friend Dan Kimball (we played in a band together in Colorado and London) has one of the best hairstyles I've had the pleasure to know. Over the years Dan has refined his pompadour to the point that it is now a flawless exemplar of rockabilly style. When Dan talks about hair grease, you should pay attention. Recently, he stunned the readers of his blog by announcing he'd switched pomades.
After 12 years, I have made the switch from Fiber Grease to LayRite Super Hold. LayRite is "scientifically formulated" and also is "Hy-Sheen."Me, I don't know pomade from pomegranate juice. But I find it interesting that both brands Dan writes about share the same label colors -- white, black, and yellow. I have made the switch from Fiber Grease to LayRite Super Hold. |
| Why C-Span is the best place to watch the debates Posted: 02 Oct 2008 05:56 PM CDT From Orange Crate Art: The best choice for watching a presidential or vice-presidential debate is C-SPAN. Why? C-SPAN's continuous split-screen lets you see both participants at all times, allowing for all sorts of observations about body language and facial expression.Why C-Span is the best place to watch the debates |
| Posted: 02 Oct 2008 05:49 PM CDT  Today at Boing Boing Gadgets, there was news of a long-life netbook battery for MSI's Wind, a debunking of yesterday's Mac Pro benzene claims, and yet another fake MacBook Pro rendering. Big fish of the day is Nokia's latest cellphone, which loses its "Tube" rumor-name to become the Xpress Music 5880. Fujitsu thinks that multitouch laptop displays will prove unintuitive. John found revolting gadget replicas made of meat, Joel gobbled up the random snack pieces of "Gamer Grub," and Rob spotted an amusingly dangerous light switch. There was a chair modeled on sound waves, an alarm clock you have to pay to shut up, and a Zune for Gears of War fans. The Grenade Mouse is exactly what it sounds like, though what will become of trouble housewares brand Ronco, no-one knows. Find out about Erik Ramsay, who can't move a muscle—but who can help develop a computerized thought-to-speech system. And find out about Victor Papagno, who could be off to prison after taking home office equipment valued at $120,000. Sick of us talking about a certain company and its products? We've got a message for you. |
| China surveilling Skype, UPDATE: Skype admits breach, apologizes Posted: 02 Oct 2008 02:07 PM CDT An update on the item blogged here earlier today on Boing Boing: Skype, the online text messaging and voice service, said Thursday it was "extremely concerned" by monitoring of Internet chat by its Chinese partner reported by Canadian researchers.More here: Skype admits China privacy breach (AFP, Thanks, Oxblood!) |
| Posted: 02 Oct 2008 04:50 PM CDT  American Memory is a new and compelling DVD coming from extended Skinny Puppy posse members William Morrison and Justin Bennett later this year. It took me a while to figure out exactly what was going on (and exactly who was responsible), but that didn't detract from this hypnotic and ultimately forceful piece. The voice in the clip on the DVD's trailer is that of former slave Alice Gaston, interviewed in her eighties for the Library of Congress in 1941. The actress is lip-synching to her dialogue. Videomaker William Morrison explains that the whole project works this way, using audio from the American Memory Archive along with new and processed footage. And, of course, delicious and eerie post-industrial music. According to Morrison: "The theoretical context of the project is that some time in the very distance future, long after America is gone, some artists scouring the backwater of whatever the net has become discover the American Memory Archive. They have no context for it's meaning but are intrigued by the sights and sounds. They create surreal impressions of the material they find and broadcast it back through time. A quantum radio channel beamed into the sub conscious minds of the 21st century." A few different permutations of the band will be playing a show on December 4 at the Gramercy in NYC, with special guests Doug Mesner and, if I can get my act and gear together, me. Douglas Rushkoff is a guest blogger. |
| BBtv WORLD: Elephant-blogging in Benin with Xeni (Africa) Posted: 02 Oct 2008 11:48 AM CDT Today's Boing Boing tv is an installment of our ongoing BBtv WORLD series, in which we bring you first-person glimpses of life around the globe. Today: an ambient exploration of the creatures rustling around in a West African wildlife preserve at dawn. I traveled to Benin not long ago, and I shot this video on a small handheld digital camcorder. This episode of our daily show is a little experiment in trying to convey what this place feels like, first-person, without too many words.
Link to Boing Boing tv blog post with downloadable video and instructions on how to subscribe to the daily BBtv video podcast.
The Pendjari Biosphere lies in Benin's remote rural northwest, along the border of Burkina Faso. Despite poaching and environmental damage, it's still home to a diverse number of species -- elephants, lions, monkeys, cheetah, and around 300 species of birds. We traveled here during the dry season, when animal spotting is easiest. Here is what we saw at dawn (the time of day when critters all come out to the watering holes and rivers). Poaching is still a big problem in this area, and organized trophy hunting for foreign tourists is still legal and in demand here (mostly visitors from France; Benin is a former French colony and French is the official language). Lion hunts are a lucrative trade in this extremely poor region, where most people are subsistence farmers. But eco-tourism and less-invasive safari experiences are becoming more important to the local economy here, and offer a more sustainable future. Note: don't miss the epic baboon ball-grab at 0:35, and the mama elephant ripping tree branches off and getting ready to kill us around 1:50. We were too close to her kids, and we were having a hard time leaving quickly. Do not taunt happy-fun elephant. Related BBtv WORLD episode: |
| Compounds in Afghanistan, Viewed From the Sky Posted: 02 Oct 2008 10:15 AM CDT  Michael Yon in Afghanistan: If we're going to win this war, we will have to win over the rural Afghans. One compound at a time. An old friend of mine has an airplane in Afghanistan, and I've hitched a few rides with him. On one trip, I took aerial photos of compounds in Helmand Province, between Camp Bastion and Lashkar Gah. Compounds vary in different regions, but many families and extended families live within compound walls. [Here are a series of photos documenting] large compounds in the seeming middle of nowhere.Compounds (Michael Yon, thanks Wayne de Geere) |
| Lessig: YouTube takedown shows why fair use isn't enough Posted: 02 Oct 2008 10:10 AM CDT Larry Lessig recounts the story of a perfect example of the inadequacy of fair use: a political (anti-Obama) parody video was taken down on the basis of a ridiculous copyright claim. Like Lessig, I don't agree with the video, but I do agree with the right of the maker to post it, and I believe that if copyright can be used to suppress political remix in election seasons, it makes us all worse off. That it was suppressed, however, is a feature/bug of current copyright law. The video is making a powerful (if wrong, imho) argument about the source of responsibility for this financial mess. It uses text (sparsely placed, as is my own style too, though the author needs a better font), images of newspaper articles, pictures of the candidates, and clips from television, all to the end of making the political argument.A lesson in the failures of "fair use" |
| Posted: 02 Oct 2008 10:05 AM CDT The "Condomovil," an HIV/AIDS awareness vehicle, has been stolen in Mexico City. The truck's cargo included 5,000 condoms, 800 HIV tests, and a 22-foot inflatable rubber. From the Associated Press: The co-ordinator of an HIV/Aids awareness tour, Polo Gomez, said on Wednesday that the "Condomovil" was parked in front of a friend's house in Mexico City when it disappeared on Sunday evening...Stolen: condom mobile (via Fortean Times) UPDATE: Commenter DIEGOV notes that the Condomovil has just been located, sans condoms and other gear. |
| Was 2006 The Golden Age Of Viral Videos? Posted: 02 Oct 2008 09:54 AM CDT Gabriel Delahaye at Videogum has come to the conclusion that we may have already seen the golden age of internet viral videos, like the epic weirdo tour de force embedded above. "It was in 2006, and it was great," he says, "But it's all downhill from here on out" From his blog post: In a recent post, I made a throwaway joke about how sometimes the internet works really hard to provide us with something new, and sometimes it just lays some Sarah Palin audio on top of some Miss South Carolina footage and calls it a day. As an example of a viral video in which the internet surprised us with its cleverness and ingenuity, I linked to the "Valentine for a Perfect Stranger" video. If you haven't seen it, it's one of the funniest and also weirdest viral videos in the short but storied history of viral videos. In fact, I would be hard pressed to think of another viral video that is as uniquely odd and wonderful.Was 2006 The Golden Age Of Viral Videos? (Videogum) |
| Fifty Years of NASA = Fifty Years of Space Collectibles Posted: 02 Oct 2008 09:45 AM CDT  Robert Pearlman, editor of the Houston-based space history and artifacts project collectSPACE, says: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA as it is more commonly referred to today, began operations 50 years ago on Oct. 1, 1958. Charged with leading the nation's civilian research into air travel and space exploration, it was the latter that caught the public's imagination, which in turn led to a wide desire for commemorative and actual pieces of NASA's exploits in outer space.Fifty Years of Space Collectibles |
| Gus Harper: timelapse painting of roses Posted: 02 Oct 2008 09:33 AM CDT Gus Harper is an L.A./NYC artist who creates pop paintings of ordinary objects on large grids. This time-lapse video of Harper painting roses is quite entrancing. Gus Harper: Grid Painting video (Thanks, Jason Weisberger!) |
| Surveillance of Skype Messages in China Documented in New Report UPDATED Posted: 02 Oct 2008 09:32 AM CDT Ron Deibert of the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab says, The first Information Warfare Monitor/ONI Asia major investigative report has been released -- Breaching Trust: An analysis of surveillance and security practices on China's TOM-Skype platform, written by Nart Villeneuve, Psiphon Fellow, the Citizen Lab, at the Munk Centre for International Studies, the University of Toronto.(Thanks, Oxblood!) UPDATE: Skype admits the breach and apologizes. |
| Pakistan, China, Turkey, Iran and others in growing Asia Pacific Space Agency Posted: 02 Oct 2008 07:40 AM CDT The Asia-Pacific Space Agency continues to grow,, combining the spacefaring ambitions of China, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Cambodia, Indonesia and others: "Given China's diplomatic use of space, there is a very good chance they would be taking somebody from a new country," Cheng said.SPACE.com -- After Shenzhou Success, China Looks to the Future |
| HOWTO Make an upside-down bookshelf Posted: 02 Oct 2008 07:35 AM CDT Here's a nice gag for hanging an upside-down bookshelf on your wall -- the books are held in with elasticated strips of cloth: /Inverted Bookshelf (via Neatorama) |
Kelly Link just released her second book, Magic for Beginners, online for a year under the Creative Commons license. 2 of the 9 stories aren't included due to contractual agreements but this is huge news because two giant companies, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (who published it in paperback) and HarperPerennial (who published the UK edition) have agreed to take a chance and be a part of the CC movement. 
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