Rove safe, bogus assistance, interrogation methods, music sharing contained, iSweatshop

How do I pass on great stuff to you? Through links:

• Karl Rove will not be indicted in leak case. Boy, that guy must have some friends in high places.
• The GAO finds up to $1.4 Billion in bogus assistance given out for Katrina and Rita. This news is causing me mental anguish, such that perhaps some government restitution is in order.
• The Pentagon won't hide some interrogation techniques in a classified section of their manual. Or, are they just going to classify the existence of that section of the manual? Think about it.
• RIAA chief says music piracy is "contained". Whew! I have noticed the increase in quality of life already!
• Is Apple producing their iPods in overseas sweatshops? Employees working 15 hr days for $50/month... but at least they get to listen to sweet tunes while they work.
  

Symphony, body claim, fake ID, Transformers, ring stock

After a cool weekend, it is back to much warmer days again. Saturday night, the Minnesota's Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra gave a performance at our new high school's arts center. This is the first time I've been there, and I've got to say the accoustics are terrific there. The theater is very nice (maybe a bit much for a high school, but it will get a lot of community use). The performance was excellent as well.
Anyway, here are a few links for today:

• Don't want to pay for that funeral? Just don't claim the body of that family member. Sheesh.
• Your tax dollars at work: man gets into Homeland Security HQ with obviously fake ID.
• Keep an eye out for your favorite consumer electronics devices in the upcoming Transformers movie.
• Wrestling stock soars, then turns on crowd and becomes a heel, then later redeems self by surprise turn in cage match.
  

Terror leader killed, castle illusion, panel interference, magnet-sense

Who's in the mood for some Internet links? Well, here are some for you:

• Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi killed, but then if you haven't heard this already, you're probably living in a cave in Tora Bora... oh, wait, you'd probably have heard this there by now.
• Big Spanish Castle optical illusion is pretty cool.
• Sen. Specter asks Cheney to quit interfering with NSA panel. Cheney responds by inviting Specter to go quail hunting.
• Tired of plain old sight, smell, taste, etc? Get electromagnetic sense by implanting magnets in your fingers.

Vintage vandals, cave art, web 2.0, classic shed

Hello, here are some links for the day:

• The Wurst Gallery "Vintage Vandals". I thought this was a neat idea and could be a good craft project. Taking art found at a thrift store and modifying it.
• 27,000 year old cave face is oldest portrait on record, and it is a portrait of, you guessed it, Joan Rivers.
• So what is Web 2.0? Oh, it's just all that stuff.
• Need some more style for your backyard? How about a Roman garden shed?

Getaway genius, private email?, photo mosaic, free ebooks, red cells from space, more

I was holding out on filling my gas tank as prices were going down for a while here, but apparently whatever random reason for raising prices has occurred. I ended up filling up today at a higher cost than had I done it a couple days ago. Oh well, I guess constantly changing prices adds that element of risk and suspense, like playing the lotto or betting on a horse race.
Some good bets for you:

• If you are going to rob the grocery store you work for, don't return for your shift driving the same car you used for getaway.
• A third of companies read their employees' outbound email. (44% for companies over 20,000 employees.) So at least someone will read that dumb joke you forwarded to everyone you know.
• I thought this was a pretty cool time-waster: Photo mosaic that you can infinitely drill into.
• Keep your eye open for free eBooks in July, from both Project Gutenberg and World eBook Library.
• Mysterious red cells might be aliens. They are currently gathering Reese's pieces, satellite dishes and Speak N Spells in order to "phone home".
• Good article about 20 things you won't like about Windows Vista.
  
• Being challenged to consume Mentos and Diet Coke together? You might want to watch this experiment first.
  

Irancentives, hilt-hop album, ipod info, rear view, holy grilled cheese, poopsicle

Howdy all! Wow, the weather is nice now (cooled down a little bit). I am stubbornly trying to avoid using the A/C (air conditioner, not alternating current), but have turned it on a couple times since last weekend. I'm also not ready to water the lawn (in fact, without mowing, I don't need to mow as often), but have put the hose on the garden a couple times.
Anyway, here is a variety of stories for you:

• Countries putting together an incentive package for Iran to give up their nuclear ambitions. Yet if I try to build my own nuclear reactor, they send the police.
• In more disturbing news, Paris Hilton plans Reggae, Hip-Hop album. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
• Need a lot of free iPod and iTunes info? The Free iPod Book 2.0 is available (for free)!
• Tired of people sneaking up on you while deep in word processing thought? Get a Computer Rear View Mirror.
• Can't afford those mysterious holy images on food from eBay? Make your own with the Jesus Pan.
• Ever see the movie "Envy" where one guy gets rich after inventing "Va-poo-rize"? We are getting close to that in real life, with Poop-Freeze.
  

Squaremelon, money folding, justice spat, secret wars, phone phollies

Hope you are having a great Memorial Day weekend! Here's a few things to keep you busy:

• What makes those summer holidays better? Why, square watermelon, of course.
• Got so much money you don't know what to do with it? Try some money origami.
• Dept of Justice and FBI officials threatening to resign if they don't get their way in the Jefferson raid. Ministry of Love unavailable to comment.
• I ran across this video for the Secret Wars Re-Enactment Society, a spoof of war re-enacters acting out Marvel Comic's Secret Wars series. I thought it was funny, but posting it here just reinforces that I like some geeky stuff.
• A few inappropriate cell phone ringing stories. I think people should use a little more common sense with their phones; I hate it when one goes off during a movie or event. Toward the end of this article, a professor comments on the pointless conversations he hears immediately before and after classes. I couldn't agree more. I don't understand the inane calls, or why people feel they need to be in constant communication and be always connected.
  

Hicks idol, red hot album, enron conviction, da Vinci thoughts

Just a hodgepodge of thoughts and links today:

• Taylor Hicks wins 'American Idol'. I really stopped watching this show after the initial mass auditions, but remember Hicks and was glad someone less traditionally 'pop-ish' won. I'm mainly mentioning this story because I read in another article that the 63 million votes cast was "more than any president has received", which is actually pretty sad when you think about it. (However, later I realized that this is not the same as "more than total votes cast in a presidential election".)
• On the drive to Green Bay last weekend, I had a chance to really listen to the Red Hot Chili Pepper's new "Stadium Arcadium". Very good album, maybe not as good as "By the Way", but similar in its more mellow and mature Chili Pepper style.
  

• Enron's Lay and Skilling convicted finally. You know, I wonder how much this whole trial cost, and what it compares to the actual cost of the Enron collapse.
• I am currently reading "The Da Vinci Code" (I know, I know, way behind everyone else). I've been pretty aware of the controversial concepts brought forth in it, but have been pretty much blowing off the controversy because it is fiction. However, now reading it, I think I understand some of the concern. I had assumed that the controversial info (which I will not mention for the one or two people who have not read this yet) was discovered by the characters as they progressed through their quest; which should be fairly obvious as fiction to the reader. Instead, these things are stated flat out as facts by the "educated", "professorly" characters as being without a doubt, obvious, accepted fact, etc. and reinforced with a statement in the front of the book claiming this info is fact. They don't even say "some theories say...", or "some speculate..", so I can see how people might get confused what is history and what is fabrication. A ton of what is presented is extremely far from proven fact. (Didn't the guy who "discovered" the Priory of Scion evidence, Dossier Secret, later admit he created it all? Other claims about the Council of Nicaea and such are also pretty much proved otherwise. Etc.) I got to say too that I really don't think Dan Brown is a good writer. His text is flat and straightforward and not very creative writing, but the plot is pretty exciting. I think the scavenger hunt/puzzle solving aspect of it is really what saves it and makes it a kind of fun read. But, it also follows the same formula as "Angels & Demons" of find puzzle, solve it quickly, rush to next stop (or run away from someone), find puzzle, solve it quickly, rush to next stop, etc.

The runner mentality

I'm back from a visit to Green Bay, where I went to cheer my sister on in her first marathon. It was awfully chilly, but there were a ton of people there, and she did a really good job. When she finished, she asked me if it had inspired me to run a marathon. My answer: "no". I don't really get the runner mentality. Even if I was in the shape that I could run a marathon, I'm not sure why I would want to. I have a car. I don't need to run from any large predators. I don't need to urgently deliver a message to the next village. I still think it is a very impressive feat and am amazed by those that accomplish it, but it just isn't for me.

3D specs, nuclear gift, phone spying, that rabbitty thing, fan transformer

Since someone asked about where to get 3D glasses after my last post (you know who you are, Kahn), I spent minimal time doing research and found this place (Rainbow Symphony) which will send you "free" glasses for a dollar.
But in other news:

• Europe talks about giving Iran a nuclear reactor. If they accept before the end of the month, they'll get a free side of nuclear bombs.
• Verizon sued for giving phone info to the government in the NSA phone snooping program.
• and the government is also spying on the phone calls from/to the media to root out confidential sources. (Also, confirmed by the FBI.) Big Brother is watching.
• After years of waiting, looks like there will be a new Sam & Max game. Finally, gaming gets more of the sadistic, dangerous lagomorph.
• Very cool CGI screen test of a Transformer (Optimus?). Fan created, but hopefully the actual movie will be even better.
  

Fun with three dimensions

Self portrait (with 3D glasses) in 3D
Originally uploaded by Brian Whitmarsh.

I've been doing some playing around with 3D - creating anaglyphic pictures with my camera and some free software I found. It is actually pretty easy, but I haven't come up with anything that is really "Wow!" yet. If you want to see what I've got so far, they are publicly available on my Flickr account. (By the way, you'll need red/blue 3D glasses or they'll just look like boring photos.)

Souvenirs, pig personality, wii duck hunt

Holy cow! Heck of an episode of "Lost" tonight. I'm going to quickly throw some links at you, then get back to "Lost Experience" web game (new clue tonight in the Hanso Foundation commercial):

• Why do we buy dumb souvenirs? Probably because that's all we can afford with these gas prices.
• Draw a Pig personality test. I'm assuming this is highly scientific.
• All these years of progress, so what is coming to the Nintendo Wii? Duck Hunt.
  

Spears of destiny, ironic ionic, falcon tv, longer life, colorblind

More links for you!:

• Britney Spears and her husband will soon bring another child to be endangered into this world.
• Ironic ionic: ionic air purifiers may create smog. But, very clean smog.
• Here's some better reality tv: the Minnesota Power Falcon Cam.
• 15 ways to live longer. Transplanting your brain into another body surprisingly not on the list.
• How do things look to colorblind people? (Example less interesting if you truly are colorblind.)
  

La estrella spangled bandera, super reality tv, i meant not guilty, shadows and illusions

Hey, read these:

• There's been some debate about whether a Spanish version of "The Star Stangled Banner" is appropriate, but apparently the government already approved a version of this in 1919.
• Sci-Fi channel to have reality show to pick a new superhero. Wait, "reality" tv?
• Moussaoui asks to withdraw his guilty plea... now. After he is found guilty.
  
• Check out these cool oil lamp shadow projectors.
• and the neat cylinder mirror optical illusions.
  

Mobile eye strain, retaliation planning, cold shoulder for Colbert, health across the pond

Here's a bunch of stories:

• Mobile devices destroying our eyesight. Please take this into consideration when buying your...
• 4 or 8GB iPod nano that plays video. Video on a nano. Great, because I'd love a tv the size of a stamp.
• Iran says if they are attacked by the US, Israel will be their first target for retaliation, and they will attack it with their peaceful, nuclear energy program.
• Several interesting viewpoints on Stephen Colbert's somewhat scathing roast at the White House Correspondents' dinner, and the media's reaction of ignoring it.
• Americans sicker than the English even though they spend much more on health care. It's probably related to stress from viewing tiny pictures and fonts on their mobile devices.
  

Newsmagazine tv troubles, Bush's twin, laptop mods, webcam fun

Still raining, when is it going to stop? If you're cooped up indoors with the weather, here are some links to keep you busy:

• TV newsmagazines are struggling to survive, due to reality TV. Apparently people are more concerned with contrived conflict situations than with real news.
• So it's awful when Saddam Hussein has lookalikes, but funny when George W. Bush does? Actually, it is really funny. Watch the video linked with the story.
• Got an old laptop to play with? Check out these 5 laptop mods.
• I don't really do any webcam stuff, but the Logitech QuickCam Orbit looks like it has some really cool and fun features, including real-time video effects (see the video in the review).
  

Freeware, Koreiran, penny pricing, big blu-ray, wheeee!

Well, it's been raining non-stop today (which is actually probably good for my garden), and work has been horrible this week (long hours on several critical problems); I'm working today, but am taking a couple hours break where I'm not needed.
So, here's some links:

• Here is a huge list of freeware utilities; sure to be something you need on here.
• Iran gets North Korean missiles. Maybe if they just merge, we'll have only one country to consider attacking.
• It actually costs the US Mint 1.4 cents to make a penny. I'm going to go buy a ton of them since their selling them below cost.
• TDK develops a recordable Blu-ray disc that holds 200GB. Better start stocking up on content to record on it.
• Nintendo has renamed the forthcoming "Revolution" console, as the Nintendo Wii (pronounced "we"). Yeah, that's almost as good.
  

Gas by county, easy police catch, new monopoly, secret Jasons, 8-bit memories

Hey, what happened! It went from beautiful this weekend, to cold, windy, and rainy today. I don't mind the rain since I just planted some items in my garden, but this is way too cold!

In other news:

• US Gas Temperature Map, which shows gas prices by county, not by temperature.
• I guess this is one way to lure the dumb criminals out: teen busted trying to steal fake drugs from a display at a police expo.
• You can have a say in the Monopoly: Here and Now edition by voting for landmarks to include.
• A secret society of scientists called the "Jasons" works for the government. Dan Brown to start a book on this once he finds out.
• Did you grow up in the 8-bit age like I did? Try this gamer test to see how well you remember the classics. I'm at 8/16 so far (but I haven't cheated yet):

I played too many games. I got 8/16 on the 8-Bit Gamer test. Take the test!

Summertime and gardening, debit theft, cheap Chinese DVDs, not cheat oil

A huge project installation has been going on all weekend at work, but thankfully, my presence hasn't been required. It's been so beautiful out this weekend, that I've enjoyed being out and getting the first lawn mowing of the season, fertilizing, getting some things planted in the garden (though most I'm still trying to start from seed indoors) , and I put some decorative edging around my garden. (and I spoke too soon, because I just was called from work as I write this.)
But here's some other news, not about me:

• Largest debit card hacking theft could cost customers $500 a piece.
• Movie companies may sell DVDs in cardboard packaging for $1.50 in China to combat piracy. And we pay $15 - 20? Who really is the pirate here?
• Gas prices really aren't that bad when oil could reach $90 a barrel later this year.
  

Googol of Google tools, word wonders, extinction of cash, sleep, robo-chair, religion, gas prices

Here are some items:

• Want to make the most of Google? Wikipedia has a good list of all Google services and tools.
• I didn't see anything too eye-opening here, but here's an article with top ten things that MS Word users should know.
• Cash is finally on the way out... in the UK at least where debit card use has overtaken cash.
• A good night's sleep boosts long term memory.
• The machines are closer to taking over: check out the video of the self-assembling robot chair. I can't imagine how useful that is.
• An interesting demographic view: US maps of religion concentration.
• You think gas prices are bad? How about going to Venezuela, where gas is $0.14/gal? Wait, that's actually much better!
• And also, a good night's sleep boosts long term memory.