Ever wondered where a zip code is located? Check out zipdecode by ben fry.

Now this is funny! Medieval tapestries set to modern day themes at Something Awful. ROFLMAO!

Here's a story I saw on Slashdot that talks about the strange irony that computers are making test scores worse. "One of the most common selling points for computers in schools, even in first and second grades, is to prepare youngsters for tomorrow's increasingly high-tech jobs. Strangely, this may be the computer evangels' greatest hoax. When business leaders talk about what they need from new recruits, they hardly mention computer skills, which they find they can teach employees relatively easily on their own. Employers are most interested in what are sometimes called "soft" skills: a deep knowledge base and the ability to listen and communicate; to think critically and imaginatively; to read, write and figure, and other capabilities that schools are increasingly neglecting." I have to strongly agree.

This is pretty cool...Do you have a question that you can't find an answer to? Google Answers hires researchers to search everywhere for an answer for you; for a price. The price is set by the questioner, but a higher price usually means a faster answer. Researchers get to keep 75% of the money. And the answer is usually returned within twenty-four hours. There are some restrictions on what can be researched (no illegal stuff, porn, Google secrets), but it can be quite a handy tool when you can't seem to find that answer you need.

This is a great site for submitting all of those broken things in the world. This Is Broken is a collection of various things like signs, warnings, maps, etc that don't quite mean what they say or don't mean anything at all. Very funny.

For those of you tired of trying to get these ridiculously long URLs to work in emails, on your blogs, or in Instant Messages, try using TinyURL.com. TinyURL will give you a short URL that you can paste into emails, etc. This means you can turn this:

http://maps.yahoo.com/py/ddResults.py?
Pyt=Typ&csz=Mountain+View+CA+94043&ed=
aga35K1v1CwYvqAvLXb6455xObkLn5g.72bBl
UbHHkCv2xwq5uaNbWtixTiWAiqTVQECX53
_YoIy7FE_FFIOiukX.nafQ3AW1v3TEofifr
QF78I-&country=us&tcsz=Mountain+View+CA+94043&
tcountry=us&tcs=9&tname=
City+Of+Flowers&tdesc=(650)+965-4055

Into this:

tinyurl.com/t39k

This story I found on BoingBoing is amazing! Myths over Miami are being told by homeless children all over Miami. It is a mix of all folklore, but is something new. Really very interesting...and haunting.

Alabama has it's own great fossil site! Too bad that they are about to bulldoze it. That's right. The largest fossil area of its kind is about to be bulldozed because federal law requires that all strip mines, where the fossil site was found, be reclaimed no matter what. Here's the story: Rare fossil discovery threatened by federal law. The only thing that can stop this is an act of Congress. "U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, who represents Walker County in Congress, has introduced a bill that would give the Interior Department $500,000 to buy the site and turn it into a scientific park. But the House has taken no action on the measure and its supporters have yet to find a sponsor in the Senate." Here are links to Senator Shelby and Senator Sessions. Let them know that you would like to see them sponsor Robert Aderholt's bill in the Senate. If I've ever seen a non-partisan issue, this is it.

This is just weird...Woman Charged in Vampire Babies Biting Baby Assault

...via kevin kelly's cool tools... Ever had trouble finding titanium washers, polyethylene tubing or fish paper? Well Small Parts, Inc. carries a full line of items for the researcher, developer or even the garage tinkerer. Just remember Small Parts, Inc. when you are looking for your next Brass Hexagonal Telescoping Tubing.

...via slashdot...The 2nd Annual Dilbert.com - Weasel Awards winners have been posted! Congrats to our local HealthSouth that made the list of Weaseliest Company!

This is pretty crazy...I've been a fan of JEFF K. for a while and have recently become very interested in board games again. Well, check this picture out! Jeff K. is a master gamer!!! LOL!!! He's even wearing the same shirt!

What do you get when you mix 19 year old soldiers, bulldozers, acres of fruit trees and bad foreign policy? Fun for the whole family! A touching story to help kids understand why everyone else in the world hates America. Gee, I wonder why all those people over there have time to protest and build bombs? Maybe because they don't have a farm to work on anymore?

OMG! As if the monkeys weren't bad enough! Now they are teaching robots martial arts! Don't these people ever watch the SciFi Channel?!? AHHHGH!!! The sad sad tale of humanities end...

Great! Just what the world needs...Cyborg three-armed monkeys rampaging our cities and stealing our precious bananas! Hey, let's give sharks legs and alligators wings and mix it up even more! Here's the New Scientist story.

This story on Slashdot Can You Sue Over Loss of Personal Information? is exactly the reason I never apply for a credit card or a prize or anything in a public place. This is also why my wife and I have a crosscut shredder and never throw anything out with our name on it --even if it's not filled out. I'm not worried about the NSA. I'm worried about some sleazy spammer or credit card company that will sell my valuable data to the highest bidder. To protect you personal data from those that want to fill your inbox with penis enlargement ads, always try to:

1. Avoid giving your information to anyone for any unneeded reason.
2. Never give more personal information than is needed. If the box is marked optional on the form, leave it blank.
3. Never give out your Social Security number to anyone unless it is absolutely necessary. Also, don't carry your SS card in your wallet or purse. Keep it in a safe place.
4. Don't sign up for anything you don't want or need so that you can get a "free" prize or gift. That prize is worth so little compared to your privacy and peace of mind.
5. NEVER buy anything from telemarketers (even if they say they are a charity) or spammers EVER!
6. Shread everything that has ANY personal information on it; preferably in a crosscut shreader. Once you are done using it or archiving it, get rid of it. This includes; old bills, bank statements, credit card offers, junkmail offers for things like insurance, old receipts, deposit slips and even old grocery lists.
7. Have a seperate "hotmail" address for those websites that require an email address.
8. If you start getting a lot of spam for no apparant reason, change your email address to something a bit harder to guess. It's a lot easier to send random emails to jsmith@aol.com than say j0hnsm1th@aol.com.
9. Install personal firewall software and preferably a hardware firewall between you and the Internet.
10. Keep your antivirus software up to date.

From the..."I always wondered department"...the story behind Ctrl-Alt-Del. From Slashdot.

In the future...cars will not run on hydrogen, but on PLA (plain-old-air). Here's the story of one frustrated designer trying to get the capital to build the ultimate in pollution free vehicles. Wired News: Air Car Caught in Turbulence

In what might be the largest lawsuit ever, Wal-mart is getting sued by 1.6 million female employees for unequal pay. Here's the link...Wal-Mart battles huge sexism claim. Discovered on BoingBoing.

Here's the rest of Orson Scott Card's essay...MP3s Are Not the Devil - Part 2.

I know what I want for my birthday...Whee!!!

Orson Scott Card of Ender's Game fame has written the essay MP3s Are Not the Devil about the RIAA suing everybody and their grandfather. Part one is out this week.

The big story today out thar in the Internets is about letter scrambling. Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, olny taht the frist and lsat ltteres are at the rghit pcleas. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by ilstef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
If that's not enough, and it never is when a bored programmer gets an idea, here's The Word Scrambler Thing to do the scrambling for you. Wheee!!! That should keep you going for at least the time it takes for the next meme to rise; which should be about fifteen seconds after I post this.

Two of my favorite blogs are signing off today. William Gibson turned in his notice today. "I’ve found blogging to be a low-impact activity, mildly narcotic and mostly quite convivial, but the thing I’ve most enjoyed about it is how it never fails to underline the fact that if I’m doing this I’m definitely not writing a novel – that is, if I’m still blogging, I’m definitely still on vacation." I'm sad that he's stopping, but glad a new book will be coming out of it.

The other blog is Moja Vera; the U.S. soldier that has been blogging about his days and nights in Iraq. Moja gets to come home tomorrow. Again, I'm sad to see the end of his blog, but glad he gets to come home alive.

This whole blogging thing I first thought was really silly. All I kept thinking about was some of the really bad ones I had seen in the beginning... bad poetry and people rambling on for days about nothing. But then I read a few really good ones like those above and became totally intrigued and addicted. I began to see the ramifications of this type of one to many dialogue...everyone having a voice to the masses. This seems most important now. With the world taking sides on everything, these blogs help me remember that this world is not made of just me and "all of them". It helps me see the humans behind the "they". It allows me to see that we are all people struggling from our own point of reference to understand to desire to sense to feel to love to hate to to live -- to be. Even if that means I have to read some bad poetry once in a while.

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

Peace. Blog on!

In an almost unbelieveable turn of events, MTV reports that the Pixies will be reuniting in April. I've done a little checking and it appears that this might not be true. Only time will tell. If it does happen, then w00t! lot of places but first read on BoingBoing

Someone posted this on the Gibson board and I thought I might share. It's great fun! Online Coloring Book

Kids gotta learn early that it's political bribes and payoffs that run this country! St. Paul is now requiring all youngsters that wish to operate any sort of refreshment stand to buy a $60 vendor license. "You gotta grease those palms with the cold hard cash before you'll be selling pop around here kiddo! Stop crying and wipe your nose! This is Amahreeka! You gotta pay to play!" In other news, city parks will begin introducing swing tolls next month...

From the immense intellect of these modern times, California governor candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger comments on the controversial issue of gay marriage: "I think gay marriage should be between a man and a woman." From defective yeti

What are you? Are you a liberal pinko commie or a conservative religious zealot? Take the World's Smallest Political Quiz and find out.

A good laugh for Monday; especially if you are looking for a job. The Morning News - The Non-Expert: Defenestrate Your Résumé! "Most companies automatically forward résumés of two-pages or longer to Popeye’s Chicken, so be sure to confine things confided to a single sheet. If you are having trouble getting everything to fit, try narrowing your margins, reducing your font to 7, or getting rid of the ‘deadweight’ by eliminating your education or omitting the nouns."

Drink to your health! Scientists report that a chemical in red wine may contribute to longer life. The chemical mimics an affect caused on the body due to calorie restriction. "The chemicals are designed to mimic the effect of a low-calorie diet, which is known to lengthen the life span of rodents. Scientists involved in the research say human life span could be extended by 30 percent if people respond to the chemicals the way rats and mice do to low calories." They think that this is a biological response to lean times that allowed animals to live long enough to reproduce.

Another story that puts Alabama in a positive light...Chief justice vows to fight monument removal order. I have to side with the other justices who understand their role as Alabama Supreme Court judges. "...the justices said Moore is legally bound to follow a lawful court order even if he disagrees with it." Judge Moore is unable to hold the HIGHEST position in this state's court without letting his own emotions cloud his view of the law. He also does not care about the welfare of his own statesmen by forcing them to carry the burden of daily fines due to his defiance of the very laws he swore to uphold. I think it's time to hold our own recall. This is what happens when we elect officials that should be appointed.

Sometimes you forget the important things and then you get reminded...The Onion | I Have An iPod--In My Mind is a great read. via BoingBoing

Here's a great article about the Google calculator function that will complete most simple equations as well as give answers to some tougher questions. It will also do conversions. Very nice when you're like me and can never remember how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon.

An addendum to the diamond article in Wired, this was found in the William Gibson forums...LifeGem is selling diamonds made of the carbon of your dead loved ones. "That's a beautiful ring! Was it your grandmother's?" You reply, "Why no it IS my grandmother."

When I went to Chichan Itza and the Parthenon I wondered how they became abandoned ruins. DetroitYES - The Fabulous Ruins of Detroit Forum gives us a living diary of that decay in progress. Detroit should be made into an Industrial Landmark; an American ruin. Too bad the city planners think that only through imploding and destroying their past they can create a brighter future. Everyday another beautiful but abandoned building falls to the wreaking ball. Take a look at Detroit before it no longer exists. It is a great lesson for us all.

The cover story of this month's Wired is a well written tale of diamonds, greed, and the future of computing. Wired 11.09: The New Diamond Age reads like a tale of espionage. "During a break in the conference, a man approached Linares and told him to be careful. 'He said that my father's research was a good way to get a bullet in the head,' Linares recalls."

Protect your children by banning all use of Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO)in schools!!! DHMO kills thousands of people each year! It has been discovered that all crimes are committed by people that have been exposed to or ingested DHMO! They are even using it in nuclear power plants!!! Protect you and your family's future by exposing the truth about DHMO today!

The future is now and the future means fancy toilets! Wired News: Luxury Loo: The Seat Also Rises is an article that describes such a toilet. After it cleans you, it cleans itself and then gets rid of any unwanted smells. It's fun for the whole family!

Here's an example of the new California recall election ballot. It makes a lot of sense and would cut down on voting costs.

There are several good blogs being written right now by folks living, soldiering and working in Iraq. The first is probably the most famous and is Salam Pax's blog Where is Raed? Another is written by Salam's good friend Gee called Gee in Baghdad. Finally, Moja Vera, a young soldier, has a blog has caught the interest of many. His blog ...turningtables... is a great blog of the daily life of a soldier in Iraq. Oh and don't forget to check the the associated photoblogs of Salam, Gee, and Moja.

Also, check out this photo linked off of Salam's blog. It's a picture from the burial of the Hussein brothers. Beauty is found in such strange places.

All this via a link from William Gibson's blog.

A lot of folks are looking for all the clone videos of the Star Wars kid. Jedimaster.net has almost all of them and downloads are quick. If you have never seen the original, watch it first.

This is some really good insight for those of you looking to buy a new car. kuro5hin.org || Selling cars in the U.S. - the inside scoop

It has been strongly recommended for your mental health to avoid Gigli. My favorite quote is this one: "I had a brief thought that the mundane inanity might be some Samuel Beckett-style commentary on the existential void. Then I realized that watching the movie put me closer to the existential void than they ever were."
-- Nell Minow, MOVIE MOM

You think your fashion is bleeding edge? Not so gaijiin! Kevin Kelly -- Recomendo has a link to a new photo book called Fruits. This book is a collection of extreme Tokyo streetwear that makes your threads look like yo mama dressed you.

Worried about getting a subpoena from the RIAA? The EFF: RIAA Subpoena Database allows you to search through all of the filings for your IP address or username. I, fortunately, was not listed. Woohoo! (From Wasted Bits via boingboing)

The winner of The Smoking Gun's 2003 Legal Document of the Year!

This is a pretty interesting site. The NYC EMS Field Guide is designed to go on a PDA so that NY fireman can get information they need instantly. It has lists of all the codes they use for communication and diagnosis. There's even a whole section on Weapons of Mass Destruction.

OK let's break it down...Navy secretary appointee waiting on Senate confirmation dies of an apparant self-inflicted gunshot wound at his ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Uh...nope, no conspiracies here.

There is something about the rural South that you can never find anywhere else. I think it's caused by all that toxic dumping, or maybe inbreeding to the point of singularity. "I am my own father!" From u l t r a m i c r o s c o p i c...

Here's a good article about science fiction vs. reality. kuro5hin.org || Sci-Fi Tech Coming to a Reality Near You explains a lot of the interesting concepts out there, and is relatively easy to comprehend. Besides, how can you not be intrigued by theoretical phenomena with names like Quantum Foam and Zero Point Fields.

For those of you looking for highly nutritional music that is 100% RIAA free, try RIAA Radar: Zeitgeist: Indie 100. This is the list of the top selling albums from Amazon.com that are not produced, distributed, marketed, etc. by "Big Media".

For those of you that are fans of the old Blue's Clues like me, you probably know that Steve left to "pursue other career opportunities". sniffle... Well Steve's Web Page explains what he's been doing since. He's recorded an album that will be coming out August 12th. You can sample it on the site and what I heard is actually pretty good!

I found this story via Boing Boing -- Wired News: Supreme Court vs. The Supremes. To be able to listen to the actual oral arguments in front of the Supreme Court is just plain cool. They also talk about how it could be a great teaching tool for law students.

Interesting read...NOW: Transcript - Bill Moyers Interviews Jon Stewart | PBS

The word is out and RL (Real Life) has gotten a fabulous review on Gamespot. Check it out! Or, just try it yourself!

Missed this last week, but very cool. A thirteen ton possible giant squid was found on a beach in Chile.

I hear the spin cycle running on this...

This story shows how dim witted most media outlets really are. Animals have been giving humans diseases since the dawn of our existence. Where do you think the flu, the plague, and thousands of other diseases comes from? There is not an increase of animal to human disease transfer. There is an increase of coverage of this phenomenon and maybe more incidences from countries that get reported by Western media. There is a better scientific understanding of these diseases as well. This is no sign that the end is near.

I have gotten quite addicted to explodingdog lately. These strange pictures seem to speak to me.

In the infinite fear of our own existence, the U.S. government will be building the largest database ever to store data on every human being on the planet. I'll just leave it at that.

Went and saw The Matrix:Reloaded last night at the 10:00pm Preview Showing. (No spoilers here) Overall I liked the film. There are a few things that irked me a little, but I understood why they had been put there. Compared to most Action movies, and don't kid yourself that this isn't one, it is grand cinema. It's really crazy though. I wish that they had less money to spend on these movies. I think part of the charm of the first one is that they didn't show a lot things because they couldn't afford the sets or effects. In this one they have tons of money to spend and they show everything. I think that takes away from it somehow. Ambiguity and mystery are powerful cinematic tools, but most producers feel like they have to spoon-feed audiences these days. Sometimes people forget that the silence between the notes is as much or more important than the notes themselves.

There are so many reasons why I don't like anything about our elected officials at this point I don't know where to begin. Although Tom Delay's comment at a Washington restaurant, after he was told that he couldn't smoke, I think sums it up:
Khandker: "I'm sorry, sir, but this is a federal building, and it's against the law of the federal government."
DeLay: "I am the federal government."

Sidenote: (Slight Spoiler) There is a scene in The Matrix: Reloaded where are bunch of images are shown of the evil things humans have done in the past. The last centered image before the edit is of George Bush. I wonder how many people will catch that?

Oh, and Healthsouth fired 80 more people.

On the lighter side...
Here's is a very cool Honda commercial not playing in the U.S.

I was looking for a name for a new server that we were setting up. I found a great site for mythology called the Encyclopedia Mythica. While looking through the Mayan gods I came across Ah Uuc Ticab described as "A Mayan chthonic deity." The word chthonic really caught my eye. Not a word you see every day. I remember the game "Call of Cthulhu", but didn't really even think about the relation or the idea that the word was not just made up.

Just got back from my sister-in-law's graduation from Sewanne. One thing that I have discovered is that I can no longer party with the best of them. Nope. My party endurance is gone. But at least I can afford good beer now. I know it's real hip and all, but PBR is just awful -- no matter what Dennis Hopper says in Blue Velvet.

Filter Iteration One...

Bestway Tours is offering tours of Iraq! Yes, you can see firsthand what post-war reconstruction looks like in the beautiful "Cradle of Civilization".

While the U.S. space program bogs down, everyone else seems to be flying high. Here the Japanese launched a probe to arrive at an asteroid, collect samples and return to earth in 2007. Meanwhile folks in the U.S. are taking matters into their own hands.

In the Blog world, the latest gossip is all about the blog "...she's a flight risk.". It's very intriguing to read even if it may or may not be true.

America! What a country! Don't forget about those Pinko Commies! And Gnomes...darn knee-biters!