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5K contest winners Friday, May 5, 2000
Object of the contest: create a web page whose total size, including HTML, javascript, and graphics is under 5K in size. Amazing entries, although I miss the little frog who was a finalist, but isn't included in the final 10.
Fire in a Crowded Theatre - the truth Thursday, May 4, 2000
Actually, I have no idea if it's the truth and I'm too lazy to research it right now, especially since the constitutional point in question doesn't involve my country. All the same, it's a quick, surprising and interesting read. (Slashdot post.)
Roentgen monitors Sunday, April 30, 2000
IBM's 200 dpi LCD monitor, due for release at the end of this year. That's 2560x2048 pixels, in case you were counting. You'll be tweaking font sizes a lot, I'm sure. Apparently, initial cost will be between US $5000 and $10,000 dollars.
Magnificent seven boldly go to discover the untapped riches of Earth Sunday, April 30, 2000
"Hi, this is CNN. Is it too late to enter your Worst News Headlines contest? No? Great!" It's about National Geographic or something.
The War of 1812 by Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie Saturday, April 29, 2000
"And the White House burned, burned, burned / And we're the ones that did it! / It burned burned burned / While the President ran and cried." Hahaha. Not to live in the past or anything. :) Canadians should listen to this song, not just read the lyrics above. Oh, sorry, I just realized that they'll hassle you for an e-mail address if you try to stream the song. Use abuse@mp3.com.
Arrogant Worms on MP3.com Saturday, April 29, 2000
We played The Last Saskatchewan Pirate at our wedding. If you haven't heard this song, and you know where Saskatchewan is, go listen now! Now! Go! It's free, what do you want?
This may be the first MP3 album I buy, but I'm trying to figure out whether MP3.com is the best way to support the band, or whether I should order the physical CD off their web site. Guess I should e-mail them and ask, but if anyone has an opinion (D Fitch?), e-mail me.
Zoop Saturday, April 29, 2000
An abstract tetris-like game by Joel Spolsky, who also writes excellent essays about software and interface design.
Wireless at Cable Speed On the Way? Saturday, April 29, 2000
Please please please please.
Bootlegal Friday, April 28, 2000
Orange Alley is letting people buy a "Bootlegal" licence for the music on their site. This allows you to download a MP3 song or CD and pass it along to others, as long as you include an invitation to the site with the MP3. They write: "If you make copies and give them to your friends, but they don't pay for the music, they're just taking money directly out of the artist's pocket. Do that enough and you'll soon find the lead singer from your favorite band living in a van down by the river." This is getting closer to the busking approach that I think online music will eventually be forced into. Press the "tip the artist" button on your copy of Winamp and a dollar moves from your account to the artist's.
When you're downloading MP3s... Friday, April 28, 2000
A propaganda poster from the kind folks at Modern Humorist. Poke through their other items, including the Secrets of the Stolen Laptop. (Shh! I'm not back from Banff yet. At least, I'm not ready to post my experiences. Isn't that the same thing?)
Gone to Banff Wednesday, April 19, 2000
I'm gone until April 28. I am driving with my sweetie from Victoria to Banff to visit a friend's new sprog (baby). We'd hoped to stay at the historic Banff Springs hotel, but were convinced that the Rimrock was more reasonable. Sounds like something out of the Flintstones. The road report for the trip says beware of big horn sheep! See you in a week.
Gravilux Wednesday, April 19, 2000
I remember when I used to hate Java. But now all people do is build toys out it! Found on kottke.org..
Ask Abigail Tuesday, April 18, 2000
Abigail takes readers' questions and answers them using manners and advice books from eras past. This one's for you, Shannon. And Graham. And Joe. And Mark.
Playstation 2 screens Tuesday, April 18, 2000
Good lord! I have almost no interest in console games, preferring the complexity of keyboard-heavy PC stuff, but with graphics like that, I may have no choice but to give Sony $500 or my kidney or whatever it is they're asking.
New Anti-Cancer Drug Monday, April 17, 2000
Not sure what "powerful" means in this context, but the drug is apparently 100 times more powerful than Taxol. I originally read this story on Science Daily, a garish and dreadful web site. The fine print on their article indicated that the story had been "adapted" from a press release -- the simply formatted and advertising free release above. Exact same text.
I Am. Canadian. Sunday, April 16, 2000
Molson's I Am Canadian ad is number two at Ad Critic, second only to Wazzzup. Where's all the attention coming from? I've actually liked other Molson Canadian ads better, but at least they get the important one here: "I pronounce it 'about' not 'a boot.'"
Want to work at Ars Digita's University? Sunday, April 16, 2000
Starting salary for professors at Ars Digita's free university is US $150,000. Must have PhD in Computer Science.
Click here to log in as a new user Wednesday, April 12, 2000
You may have seen a "Welcome Back Shannon McFerran" message over the past few days. That was a joke for my sweetie who was miffed because the personalized web entry far below didn't work for her. (It uses Stopped Clock technology.) When I removed the joke, I had to remove the "new user" joke too, but I kept the link in case anyone feels the need for outdated seventies books on identity fraud. Not many other links, I'm afraid. All my logging energy has gone to my new course for UVic.
When the Money Goes Down the Drain Sunday, April 9, 2000
A page-turner article about a venture capitalism deal that goes south. I felt like I was reading Grisham on an airplane.
TMBG dial-a-song is now online Saturday, April 8, 2000
All web interfaces should involve shooting at carnival targets. [This one is Flash and takes a while to load.] Thanks Apathy! Oh, TMBG=They Might Be Giants.
The Vagrants Love Us Saturday, April 8, 2000
After reading Chris Johnson's post below, I thought "hey, I wanna fight the man, but I've never even been to MP3.com, let alone downloaded anybody else's recommendations." So I went and listened to Chris's stuff. Well, Chris goes to a different section of HMV than I do, so I searched for Spirit of the West to see if anyone had listed them as an influence. The Vagrants Love Us is a Vancouver band that lists not only SotW, but all my old university-era favourites as influences. They're still at the get-all-your-friends-to-come stage, but it was great to hear that kind of music again. I'm getting all soft for my university days. Actually, I'm just generally getting soft. (And, Vagrants, if you were vanity surfing and found my link to you -- hi!)
Michael Moore on Elian Saturday, April 8, 2000
Graham asked me to add this one. Didn't know I took requests, did you? "The truth is your mother and her boyfriend snatched you and put you on that death boat because they simply wanted to make more money."
Interview with Daniel Dennett Saturday, April 8, 2000
Daniel Dennett is the best philosopher. I ranked them myself, so I know. (Sartre was 45th, so please stop e-mailing me.) [Update: On closer review, this interview is pretty fluffy. Skip it. Hmm. This could be a whole new angle for a weblog. Things not to read.]
Soma.com Saturday, April 8, 2000
Is this a prank? Soma.com forwards to an internet pharmacy! Soma was the placidity-inducing drug from Brave New World.
Monkeys split their earnings Friday, April 7, 2000
If capuchin monkeys work together to get food, they will share the results, even if one monkey could have kept it all for itself. Found on Factovision.
Record studios are like guitars Friday, April 7, 2000
This is a Slashdot post by Chris Johnson that illustrates what I think is the future of all creative endeavours. It's the short story model: you don't do it to become a millionaire. You do it because you want to, because you want people to see what you've made.
Map to New House Thursday, April 6, 2000
If you've been planning to mail me pipe bombs, please note that I'm moving. The new place is a few steps from the ocean and has what the landlord called The World's Most Scenic Laundry Room because it looks out on the Olympic Mountains. I am not rich, just living beyond my means. Judging from this map, I should be able to see the floating dotted line that separates Canada and the States. Waste of NATO dollars, if you ask me.
Sugarscape Thursday, April 6, 2000
An AI/economics project where computer creatures trade sugar and spice amongst themselves. Experimenters see what happens when variations like reproduction, combat, and inheritance are mixed in. I've only read a 1996 summary so far, but I thought the project page would be a more useful link.
Alt-Oscars Wednesday, April 5, 2000
Categories include Most Preposterous Casting; Overpraised '70s Director Who Most Clearly Demonstrated He'd Lost His Touch with Reality; and Best Performance by One or More Rodents. The nominations include a Sixth Sense spoiler, so wait until you've seen that movie first, Mr. Graham Hudson of London, Ontario. (The personalized web is here! May not work for all users.)
Alien Song, shorts by Victor Navone Tuesday, April 4, 2000
One of my students embedded this movie in his assignment. It's 3 megs, but worth it. The animator did it in his spare time, learned a lot on the job, and happily is now employed at Pixar. I've linked to his movies page. They're all good, but if you can only see one, see Alien Song.
Star Wars in Flash Monday, April 3, 2000
As you may have heard, the Central Internet Authority has asked that this link be placed on all available weblogs. Oh well, can't fight City Hall. (And yes, it's the whole movie in Flash. Takes four minutes.)
Interview with Lord British Friday, March 31, 2000
This interview is muddled, badly translated, and it predates Garriot's exit from Origin, but if you're willing to mine, there are some interesting quotes: "Q: People can earn money playing the game? A: I believe that if [my secret game] works many people will quit their real jobs and live full time in the virtual world I am creating." Hmm. Sounds a little insane out of context. He's talking about giving people the chance to charge for their own design contributions to the game.
Old Man Murray reviews a graph Friday, March 31, 2000
The Old Man Murray gaming site offers some constructive criticism on another site's Review at a Glance. "What kind of freaking Cylon do you have to be to understand this thing? Nox seems to have received a score of five unlabeled green bars, plus a three, a five, and a B."
Referral log games Thursday, March 30, 2000
I've leapt into the whole game of looking at my referral logs to see how people came here, even though there's only three people I expect to read this log. (Hi Grum, Mark and Shannon.)
One of my first discoveries was Browse-O-Tron who found me by looking through his referral logs. He says jokingly that I poached something from him, which is almost certainly true and in keeping with my mandate of blind and godless theft, but I couldn't figure out which link it was.
The most fun referrals are the search engine ones. The "+fantasy +art +orc -elfwood'" person was probably disappointed, despite my scrupulous avoidance of elfwood. Someone searched for the words "Space Marine standards" which I had used as a way of saying that too many video games are stuck in a Starship Troopers mindset. No one comes here looking for dirty stuff though. I will have to put in more links about Natalie Portman's research into Mendelian sexual inheritance.
Oh I'm sure she's done some.
Keith Knight and his sister Thursday, March 30, 2000
Not exactly like my sister and I, but the initial comparison is close.
100 pounds of silly putty Wednesday, March 29, 2000
Industrial amounts of Silly Putty for all your construction needs. Oh, I don't know. Earthquake proofing maybe. See these links to DOW Corning safety information about the stuff too.
Traffic Waves Wednesday, March 29, 2000
I poached this one from Dandot too. Maybe you should just go read his log instead. Anyway, Traffic Waves is an analysis of how stoppages move through traffic jams as waves. The author mentions that he has a 45+ minute commute. I am so happy I left the giant cities where I have to do that.
Interview with Jeeves Wednesday, March 29, 2000
A clever interview with the Ask Jeeves search engine. Found on Dandot (who also has that Constructor link, which I myself nabbed from Ars).
Constructor by Soda Wednesday, March 29, 2000
The best use of Java ever. A creature made out of mathematical models of masses and springs walks from side to side. You can pick it up, adjust its limbs, and change other parts of the simulation. I accidently broke the poor default guy within seconds, leaving him limping like a half-squished insect. But you can reload him. Just go. Go now.
What to do before and after you win the lottery Monday, March 27, 2000
A very level-headed approach to a wildly unlikely event. I'm keeping it beside my list of things to do in case I get catapulted back in time. Found on Strange Brew.
Sim Home Alone Monday, March 27, 2000
Will Wright himself offers advice on how to have a kid survive without parents in The Sims. See the full list of Will Wright messages too.
Advertising of the past Sunday, March 26, 2000
A small collection of ads found by Tom Tomorrow. I did a project on Life Magazine ads when I was an undergrad, and I'll tell ya, laughable as these ads are, they are not unusual. Every issue of Life from the fifties and sixties is a book of reminders of how much North America has changed in just half a person's lifetime.
Freenet Friday, March 24, 2000
An astonishingly ambitious project which aims to create a decentralized and anonymous file-sharing system over the Internet. High-demand content is automatically mirrored. You can publish without owning a domain. Napster and its brethren are the littlest piggy on this giant's foot. What is most astonishing is that the first trial is almost ready.
DARPA needs mechs! Thursday, March 23, 2000
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting ideas for "exoskeletons for human performance augmentation." ICQ messages are now flashing across Robotech webrings everywhere. Read Haldeman's Forever Peace for one view of how these would be used. (Hint: on peasants.)
Dream Kitchen Wednesday, March 22, 2000
"I want my dream kitchen to be industrial." —girlfriend
It takes a certain kind of smartass to take a girlfriend's verbal shorthand and turn it into a 500 word McSweeney's absurdist piece. I'm glad Mark Schatzker is that kind of smartass.
Portal Generator Tuesday, March 21, 2000
The most ambitious of the random-generators I've seen. This place generates a new IPO-bound portal every time you reload. It's dream-like in some awful corporate way. Every seems normal at first, but when examined closely, makes no sense at all. [Stolen from kottke.]
Spam from Chapters Tuesday, March 21, 2000
I normally refrain from adding entries with no links, but Graham asked so nicely. Here's an e-mail I got from Chapters:
Dear Tim Mitchell, I'm sure you'd agree that some movies just don't live up to their hype. Of course, that wasn't the case with "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace." It's the kind of movie you can watch over and over again, without ever getting bored.
You know, Chapters, sarcasm is so unbecoming.
First Chapter of Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason Monday, March 20, 2000
129 lbs. (total fat groove), boyfriends 1 (hurrah!), shags 3 (hurrah!), calories 2,100, calories used up by shags 600, so total calories 1,500 (exemplary). Good, but not hardcover good.
The Breaking of Cyber Patrol 4 Thursday, March 16, 2000
A step-by-step account of how a weak encryption system on a censorware project was broken. Some high level math, but as a whole, it's accessible. A good section near the end where they examine some of the blocked pages: A personal home page at world.std.com. The part about his wife is nauseatingly sweet, but doesn't really fit most people's definitions of "Gross Depictions / Text, Militant / Extremist, Questionable / Illegal & Gambling", which is what it's blocked for. [Update: original site was taken down, presumably by the ISP. Mattel is suing the authors. I've linked to a mirror.]
Neverwinter Nights script Wednesday, March 15, 2000
Bioware isn't messing around with their scripting language for the design-it-yourself RPG Neverwinter Nights.
What to do with a billion dollars Wednesday, March 15, 2000
Article about new billionaire Marc Ewing of Red Hat and about tech sector philanthropy in general. Ewing is thirty. Hmm. I have two years to make up the remaining 999.98 million dollars.
(For information about what not to do with a billion dollars, please contact BC Ferries.)
Intel Science Talent Search winners Wednesday, March 15, 2000
A 17 year old girl won a $100,000 college scholarship for her work on DNA-based steganography. Close behind her was a high school senior who followed up some work by the Indian mathematician Ramanujan. He only got $75,000. Maybe next time he'll work a little harder. We used to do kiming-related partition functions for fun while our DNA solutions were recombining. Kids today.
Warcraft III changes Sunday, March 12, 2000
A detailed look at the design decisions being made for Warcraft III. Some huge changes, moving the game back toward traditional RTS. I don't think I've read an article this heavy in design theory before, even in a Gamasutra post-mortem. I have to say, GameSpot is unmatched for gaming journalism right now.
Older Mooselessness entries Sunday, March 12, 2000
The last entry was a Gamasutra post-mortem of Age of Kings. If you missed that, you may have missed more. Disaster! You can also visit the full archive page.
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